Chapter 01 Chapter 1
An Jiyue stepped out of the elevator, turned around, and adjusted her suit jacket toward the shiny elevator door, then smoothed her bangs. She took a deep breath, cup of coffee in one hand, half-opened the door with the other, and stepped into the bustling studio.
No one noticed that there was an extra person in the hall.
The photography teacher was arguing heatedly with the lighting control center, assistants and makeup artists were running back and forth, and the few chairs that were surrounded were probably occupied by some high-profile celebrities.
An Jiyue, chin slightly raised, her high heels clicking as she made her way through the crowd to a nondescript armchair behind the monitors, dropping her expensive handbag to the floor. Once seated, she pulled over a nearby microphone, her unhurried voice echoing throughout the studio.
"Let's get started."
Eyes from all directions were cast at her, even the center console focused its headlights on her.
The young woman sitting in the director's chair took off her sunglasses facing the light. Even the pores on her lightly made-up face were glowing, and a few strands of hair fluttered in the cold air of the central air conditioner.
She had a gentle expression, but at the moment, she had a look that made her look unapproachable. The lips beneath her straight nose seemed to have a fleeting upward curve. A dark green coat was draped over the back of a chair, and she wore a neat gray and black velvet suit.
She unbuttoned a button of her suit jacket, turned her head and glanced around, then bent down to take out a stack of papers from her bag. Her eyelashes drooped slightly under her brows as she prepared to flip through the script booklet in her hand.
An Jiyue leaned back, crossing her legs calmly. Few people in the studio knew the young woman who had just given the orders, but she was indeed sitting in the director's chair, calmly and confidently commanding the room. For a moment, a complete silence fell.
At this moment, a slightly plump but agile figure suddenly came in from the side door of the studio. Assistant director Xiao Xu trotted over to An Jiyue and said to her in a low voice:
"Director An, I'm afraid we'll have to wait. The male guest number 3's flight was canceled at the last minute, so he won't be able to make it to the daytime recording. Also, the lighting engineer has some new ideas—"
"If the flight is canceled, rebook him immediately." An Jiyue interrupted with a raised eyebrow, her eyes showing a bit of sharpness. "As for the lighting, it was decided after many rehearsals and discussions. Why didn't you say anything about it then? Let's stick to the previous script for today. If you have any ideas, we can discuss them after we finish work."
Her voice carried directly through the microphone, echoing throughout the room. It was clear she wasn't going to give Xiao Xu any face, and just a few words had him sweating profusely. He smiled and nodded, mumbling "yes, yes, yes," then turned and stared back at his belly, which was filled with resentment.
I just came here to deliver a message, how could I be considered a scapegoat? Xiao Xu stood up and exchanged glances with the stage manager, who immediately learned his lesson and turned on the microphone.
"3 minutes of on-site preparation. Please have the observers take their positions for recording. Lighting and camera ready."
As if in revenge, the lights changed several colors on An Jiuyue before moving away and gathering again on the stage, finally getting to the point.
The "Director An" who had just acted decisively breathed a sigh of relief in the darkness, quickly peeled off the straw, inserted it into the coffee cup and took a big sip. Unexpectedly, she drank too much and choked, forcing her to cough under her breath and forced herself to hold back tears.
No one told her that being a director is so difficult!
An Jiyue recalled the scene three days ago when her leader called her into the conference room and entrusted her with an important task, and she felt that her eagerness to try at that time was simply stupid.
She was a newcomer who had just joined the company and was originally just doing odd jobs helping with the preparation and polishing of the new program. Unexpectedly, her direct leader was suddenly found to be pregnant and had to go home to rest as ordered by the doctor. It was then her turn to fill in temporarily.
"Sister Li, I really don't understand why it's me..."
"Because you've been with me from the beginning, you're familiar with every detail." Li Li stroked her belly, her whole face kind and gentle, radiating a maternal glow. "When you switched to Huayi Productions, wasn't your goal to be a producer and director? Now that we have such a great opportunity with 'The Last Days of Love,' you'd be letting me down if you didn't seize it."
Li Li saw her confused and tangled look, reached out to pull her, and continued to radiate her brilliance:
"You've been with me almost every day since joining the company. I know your abilities very well, but the boss doesn't. This is your chance to prove yourself. The music variety show you did at your previous company was very successful and very much in line with the current online trends of young people. That's why the boss agreed to let you take over my job. Besides, you will mainly be responsible for the male guest part, and the other parts will be rotated by everyone. If you have any problems, the head director will take care of it. I've already told him, and he will take good care of you, don't worry."
An Jiyue nodded tearfully, wanting to kneel down before Sister Li. A good leader is one you'll work for. She walked out of the meeting room full of fighting spirit, a complete work plan already forming in her head.
Li Li was right. She had been following the entire variety show since the project was launched and was familiar with every detail, but as a director, the most important thing was to connect the ideas.
"Doomsday Lovers" isn't a survival show, but rather a variety show designed to align with the current rhythms of young people's relationships. Busy weekday workers only have time for dating and romance on weekends, so the show focuses on efficiency and time-saving. To ensure it doesn't interfere with the guests' weekday work schedules, all activities and recordings are held on weekends, resulting in an exceptionally tight recording schedule.
An Jiyue, having accepted the job, diligently worked through the script, repeatedly refining how to record it most naturally, how to create a dynamic atmosphere without dull moments. She worked until her days and nights were turned upside down, and she was completely disoriented. It wasn't until her roommate, unable to bear it any longer, grabbed her and threw her into the bathroom that she finally regained consciousness.
"Go take a shower!" Yue Hui's frustrated voice pierced through the folding doors. "The official recording starts tomorrow, and there's a limit to how much you can cram. Clean yourself up and I'll give you a makeover. You're going to be a director, after all. Who's going to take you seriously if you keep being as clueless as before?"
An Jiyue looked up dazedly and saw that the water heater was on. The mirror showed her disheveled appearance. The only good thing about her skin was the acne she had developed from a few days of irregular sleep patterns. One of the acne spots was between her eyebrows, so translucent it hurt when touched.
She sighed, took a shower mechanically, and let Yuehui choose her outfit for the next day without question.
"Is this okay?" She frowned at the clothes that looked nothing like her own. "Are these your clothes? I feel like I'm a domineering female CEO dressed like this."
"Aren't you?"
Yue Hui glanced sideways at his bewildered "female CEO," dressed in a silk slip dress. Her figure, shrouded in it, revealed a healthy slenderness, her well-proportioned calves swaying unsteadily. Her pretty, gentle face always managed a harmless smile, a deep brown light shimmering in her almond-shaped eyes. When she spoke, she often brought out the fresh, natural broadcasting voice she'd honed during her student days. She didn't look like someone trying to manipulate the capital market.
As the "heir of Anshi Capital", she should have been worrying about venture capital and M&A projects worth billions, but at this moment she was hesitating about the clothes all over the bed.
"I...I still want to be an ordinary behind-the-scenes producer."
An Jiuyue scratched her head and smiled bitterly. Although she had some family background, she still played the role of a diligent worker in the workplace. She would sit in front of the computer forever with a pair of black-framed glasses.
The aura of a strong woman had nothing to do with her; it was Yue Hui's specialty. But thinking about how she was about to support such a big place, she gritted her teeth and went out with this outfit.
Fortunately, she listened to Yue Hui's advice. Sitting there, An Jiyue was extremely grateful that her disguise had worked. She felt like a sheep in wolf's clothing. During a break in the recording, she typed a thank you text message to Yue Hui.
[An Jiyue: Sister Xie Hui, please save my life! !]
Yue Hui: You're welcome. Let me know after the recording is over and you can treat me to a meal.
An Jiyue: Let's talk about it later. We might have to record all night tonight. So miserable.
【Yue Hui: I despise you.】
The tricks of playing the victim were commonplace among them. After refusing a meal, An Jiyue put away her phone with satisfaction and continued to supervise the recording on site.
The opening exchange for the observers she was responsible for today ended quickly, and the afternoon was the guest's solo session. The male guest was scheduled for the second half, so he could have taken a break from the busy schedule, but An Jiyue quietly found a corner to sit down, thinking about copying homework first.
The first three female guests were incredibly cooperative and photogenic, requiring virtually no reshoots. Each had their own distinct life experiences, and their perspectives were distinct. The casting director must have put a lot of thought into this, An Jiyue admired him internally, and secretly hoped the male guests she would be responsible for would perform just as smoothly.
At eight o'clock in the evening, everything was ready. An Jiyue, her face freshly made up, sat in the director's chair. Her high spirits were in stark contrast to the lifeless atmosphere around her.
"Is everyone in place?" She pretended to glance around, but in reality, she was just looking for her assistant, Xiao Xu. Xiao Xu appeared sensibly and gave her an OK sign.
"Everyone else is here. Male guest number 3 just sent me a message saying he's boarding his flight and should be here in two hours. I'll just arrange for someone to pick him up and reshoot the scene."
Great! If things go so smoothly, we can definitely finish work early! An Jiyue rubbed her hands together, sat down in the armchair, and stared at the monitor with a burning gaze.
"start!"
The on-site director's music drowned out the whirring of the central air conditioning. A few flashes of lightning streaked across the sky outside the Huayi Building, followed by a low, muffled rumble of thunder. A moment later, a torrential downpour stirred up a hazy mist that gradually enveloped the entire city.
The evening rain fell heavily until midnight.
Most flights had already returned, leaving only a few circling planes landing one after another. Tired travelers pushed their luggage carts forward, and the late-night clamor was particularly jarring. Fortunately, the ground staff were extremely efficient, and the last arriving passengers quickly departed the terminal after claiming their luggage. The airport, which had just been bustling, quickly returned to silence.
The empty arrival hall was brightly lit. A convenience store clerk in the corner was dozing off, but at the end of a row of benches sat a tall, handsome man.
His black shirt sleeves were rolled up, his notched-lapel suit jacket draped over the handle of his suitcase, and his long legs were casually folded in front of and behind him. He seemed oblivious to the fact that the time on his laptop was approaching 1 a.m. His bony fingers scrolled through the document on the screen, tapping the phone screen a few times before bringing it to his ear.
"Look at the news. There are still some details to confirm for tomorrow's roadshow."
The person on the other end muttered impatiently, but the ten-minute meeting ended smoothly. As soon as he hung up, someone sauntered toward him.
"Is this Mr. Shen from Z Company? I'm Xu Mu, a staff member of 'The Last Lovers'. You can just call me Xiao Xu. I'm here to take you to the set."
The man narrowed his eyes, a hint of disbelief laced in his cold voice: "Go to the scene? Now?"
"Yes." Little Xu, with his panda eyes, was even more aggrieved than him. "Our director insisted on finishing the shoot today. Luckily you came anyway. Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Shen..."
"No problem, let's go." The male guest was easy to talk to. He stood up to interrupt him, picked up his coat, and walked out with his suitcase. He took a few steps and looked Xu Mu up and down with suspicion, "Can you really drive in this state?"
Even someone in good physical condition like Xu Mu was in such a state after a full day of non-stop recording, let alone the others. The only sounds in the brightly lit studio were footsteps and yawns. The arguments that had been going on during the day, arms akimbo, had long since died down.
The woman, who had been sitting in the director's chair for several hours, called out "Cut" hoarsely, her hair looking a bit disheveled from behind. She folded her arms, staring intently at the monitor, her high heels tapping the ground haphazardly. She seemed to emanate a terrifying aura that was hard to mess with.
The man who had just entered passed by her from behind, his smooth steps suddenly pausing in hesitation. He paused, squinting at the thin figure.
He leaned forward, as if to confirm something. Xiao Xu, who was leading the way, looked back and came over to introduce him quietly, "This is our Director An."
The man's expression suddenly changed. The headlights swung back, bathing half her face in the dazzling spotlight. A few strands of hair drifted in the air, and the dark circles under her eyes were faintly visible. The man stood there, rooted to the spot, for a long time before finally taking a few steps forward.
The sudden voice pierced through the noisy air and reached her ears without a doubt: "Jiyue, it's time to rest."
The woman who was about to raise her hand to call a halt froze, turned around as if waking from a dream, and accurately met the strange yet familiar face.
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