Chapter 20: Director He’s First Scene (Part Two)
Page 1/3
Cao Aiqing was very anxious because the pitch-black corridor of the teaching building seemed to stretch into endless darkness.
He Tianran was equally uneasy because the girl who had always admired him was now gripping his arm tightly.
He never would have imagined that the things he wrote could be this thrilling...
Unfortunately, there was hardly any budget for this scene, so many elements in the script couldn’t be realized.
But that didn’t matter; the important thing was that his goal had been achieved.
The two entered an empty classroom. Using the light from his phone, He Tianran confirmed there was no one inside, then said to Cao Aiqing behind him,
“Come in, don’t be afraid, no one’s here.”
Cao Aiqing nodded, following him closely like a frightened little rabbit.
“I... I’ll make a call, just to see where your phone is...”
To mask his own nervousness and omniscient viewpoint, He Tianran deliberately dialed Cao Aiqing’s number. Soon, a beam of light illuminated their seats and the phone rang loudly.
The girl patted her chest in relief and went to pick up her phone.
“It must be a prank from someone in class. Why else would it be on my seat?”
Cao Aiqing said with a hint of anger, unlocking her phone and checking its contents.
How could I have forgotten this?!
He Tianran’s heart raced. His first script was still immature, but luckily he had a backup plan. He laughed awkwardly and asked,
“Have you had any conflicts with classmates?”
Cao Aiqing shook her head, “No way... Ah!”
As she spoke, footsteps suddenly echoed outside the classroom, approaching and then fading away. A deliberately strained voice rang out from a distance:
“...Cao Aiqing... I like you...”
The girl who had suddenly appeared in front of him, tugging at her clothes, trembled slightly.
He Tianran was at a loss. He had only planned for Xue Yong to run past outside the classroom and that would be it. Since only his phone could connect, it was too coincidental, so he had to fabricate a “culprit” to shoulder some suspicion. But unexpectedly, his friend even added a line for him.
“So boring... childish...”
“...”
Cao Aiqing slowly crouched down, hugging her knees and burying her face. She spoke with a sobbing voice, then quietly wept. It was clear she had been genuinely frightened by the previous scene.
In this situation, Wen Liang hadn’t taught me what to do...
He Tianran froze, unsure how to comfort her.
He hadn’t expected things to escalate this far. Seeing Cao Aiqing’s fragile, helpless figure, he felt a pang of sympathy.
Think fast! How do you comfort someone now!?
Countless scenarios flashed through his mind. Should he reach out to touch her head?
His hand extended halfway then retracted.
Forget it. He and Cao weren’t that close yet. Such an intimate gesture would feel like taking advantage, and if she opened his hand, it would be even more awkward...
But saying nothing and leaving her crying alone wasn’t right either...
Page 2/3
He Tianran wrestled with himself like a tangled mess, but suddenly an idea struck him—something that could quickly snap Cao Aiqing out of her fear!
He crouched down as well, turned his phone’s volume to max, and played a song—
“I’m gazing up beyond the moon! How many dreams are flying freely...”
The lively, spirited remix of Phoenix Legend’s “Above the Moon + Free Flight DJ Reggae Version” blared from He Tianran’s phone, instantly filling the once gloomy classroom with a joyful atmosphere!
The mood shifted dramatically!
Cao Aiqing’s body trembled even more intensely, but this time, no more sobbing was heard.
After a moment, she wiped her tears and lifted her head.
A smile curved her lips, tears still glistening in her eyes. The moonlight outside cast a gentle glow on her face, making her look both delicate and sorrowful—truly heart-rending.
“...Thank you... He Tianran...”
Her petite nose twitched shyly, her expression both bashful and endearing.
He Tianran almost couldn’t look away, but the music stopped him from losing focus too long. He turned off the music and tried to joke,
“Ahem... crying and laughing at the same time, like a yellow dog marking its territory, Cao Aiqing.”
A flush rose on her cheeks, and she pulled out a hand, biting her lip as she playfully patted He Tianran’s shoulder several times.
That saying seemed to work wonders.
Cao Aiqing stood up, took a box of tissues from her desk, and turned to wipe her eyes. When she faced He Tianran again, her emotions had steadied, though her eyes were still slightly red.
“Let’s go,” He Tianran said.
“Mm...”
They left the school. He Tianran’s home was not far—about a twenty-minute walk—but today, he went the opposite way, accompanying Cao Aiqing to the bus stop nearby.
Cao Aiqing kept her head down, silent.
He Tianran did the same.
They walked quietly together to the bus stop.
“He... Tianran... which bus do you take?”
“Ah... I... I take the 352.”
He Tianran glanced at the bus stop sign and said casually.
Not far off, a bus slowly approached, displaying the number 352!
Just the two of them stood at the bus stop. The doors opened, then closed, and the bus slowly pulled away.
“...”
“He Tianran...”
“It’s okay, I... I take the 116. The 352 is a bit roundabout; the 116 goes straight.”
“You’re on the same bus as me~ But I’ve never seen you before!”
Cao Aiqing said happily. He Tianran scratched his head, realizing the lie would soon fall apart and decided to be honest.
“Actually... I just wanted to make sure you got on safely. You looked really scared earlier.”
Page 3/3
He deliberately avoided looking at her reaction but could feel her gaze fixed on him.
“He Tianran... you really are a good person...”
“...”
Damn... this “good person” card hit me out of the blue...
At that moment, as He Tianran’s thoughts raced, another sentence reached his ears:
“Can I add you on WeChat?”
“...Sure... my phone number is my WeChat ID. You should have it.”
Life’s ups and downs came too fast. Although he already had Cao Aiqing’s contact, the fact that the goddess herself asked to exchange WeChat IDs made He Tianran instantly float on air.
“You can just call me... Xiao Qing or Aiqing from now on...”
Cao Aiqing murmured softly. He Tianran stammered a reply,
“Th-then... you can call me Tian... Tianran. That’s what my friends call me...”
Friends—specifically Wen Liang.
Because there was only one.
“Mm...”
Cao Aiqing responded in a voice barely above a whisper. Moments later, the bus marked 116 arrived smoothly at the stop.
“I’ll go now. See you tomorrow, Tianran!”
Cao Aiqing stepped onto the bus, turned, and waved.
“See you tomorrow... a...a...”
He Tianran stood at the stop, the girl’s name spinning in his mouth until he only managed half the pinyin...
“Pft~”
Cao Aiqing covered her mouth to laugh. The doors closed, the bus pulled away, leaving behind only a trail of exhaust.
Even so, the boy took a deep breath, then exhaled heavily.
Suddenly, he turned, quickening his pace until he was running, leaping high, and shouting,
“Yeahhhhhhhhh!”
“How was it, Director He? Did you like the line I added at the end?”
Xue Yong sent a message. This time, He Tianran almost shouted a voice reply,
“Bro, you’re amazing!”