Chapter 95

The main parties haven't made an official announcement yet,

but the media is already promoting Taylor Swift and Xu Can as officially dating.

This has left Emma Stone, who considers herself his girlfriend, feeling frantic.

She is dying to hold a press conference to publicly announce that Xu Can is her boyfriend.

But doing so would be beneath her, and it would look like she’s just chasing clout, which would surely invite backlash.

Under Xu Can's persuasion, Stone has to temporarily stand down and wait for the storm to pass before finding an opportunity to go public.

"I suspect you two are playing for real! You are clearly dating!"

"You are my girlfriend; Taylor is just a collaborator."

"Then give me her number, and we'll have a good talk."

"Fine, here. It's already dialing; you talk to her."

Xu Can doesn't hesitate at all; he dials Taylor's number and hands the phone to Stone.

Stone, however, loses her nerve; she is terrified that her fears will become reality and doesn't even have the courage to face it.

"Hmph."

Before the call connects, Stone turns away to get her makeup done, as she has scenes to shoot later.

"Darling, do you miss me?"

Taylor's tone on the phone is very happy; it's rare for Xu Can to take the initiative to call her.

"What are you doing?"

"Writing a new song. Want me to sing a couple of lines for you?"

"Sure." Xu Can's lips curl upward.

He is the only person in the world who gets to hear Taylor's private phone concerts in real-time.

On the other end of the line, Taylor picks up her guitar, strumming a slightly upbeat country-pop melody.

Compared to her previous pure country style, it has a bit more of a rock feel.

"Your every move is like a storm, leaving an indelible mark on me."

"And I am as fragile as a house of cards, easily conquered."

"You make me infatuated, reckless; I should have stayed away."

"But I know deep down, I can't..."

As her veteran fan, the moment Taylor starts singing, Xu Can knows which song it is.

"Sparks Fly," the first single from Taylor Swift's third album, *Speak Now*.

It tells the story of a girl's internal struggle as she falls uncontrollably for someone.

After singing a short demo, Taylor can't wait to hear Xu Can's opinion.

"It's great, I love it. It will definitely top the iTunes download charts."

"Hehe, this song was written for you, too. The charts don't matter; as long as you like it, that's enough."

Taylor Swift's sweet, syrupy voice intoxicates Xu Can even more than her songs.

To date, Taylor has already written many works for him, such as "Fearless," "Love Story," "You Belong With Me," and so on.

And she has stated more than once in interviews that the creative inspiration for these songs comes from Xu Can.

Emphasizing this in her Grammy acceptance speech was also one of the key factors that broke Stone's defenses.

After the two exchange sweet nothings, Xu Can returns to the set to face Emma Stone.

Emma's expression is somewhat complex, but since she is in work mode, she has to hold it in for now.

"Alright, let's get ready!"

"Scene 72, Take 2, First time!"

"Action!"

Previously, at the end of *Spider-Man 1*, Peter Parker broke up with Gwen.

Peter had promised her father that he would stay away from Gwen to keep her out of danger.

The image of Gwen holding an umbrella, tears streaming down her face, broke the hearts of countless fans.

Yet, how could two people who love each other separate so easily?

This scene is their first face-to-face conversation after the breakup.

Peter crosses through the traffic and arrives in front of Gwen.

The two look at each other from afar in the crowd, their gazes locking.

Wearing a white coat, Gwen sees her beloved in the winter night; surprise, heartache, and awkwardness are all intertwined.

On set, due to the recent situation with Taylor, Stone's state of mind is equally complex.

Looking at the still-handsome Xu Can before her, she is practically playing herself.

"Hey."

"Hi..."

"You look beautiful."

"Sorry, it was a bit abrupt to call you over."

"No, not abrupt at all."

"I just think we should go back to being good friends; I don't want things to be too complicated between us."

"Mm, that's great. If we're going to be friends, we need to set some ground rules."

"Like what?" Stone lifts her eyes, her bright gaze fixed on Xu Can.

"Like your smile—that's a foul."

"What? How is it a foul?"

"You have to smile in a more annoying way... no, that's still too cute."

"I have one too: you aren't allowed to look at me with those charming eyes." Stone brushes the hair behind her ear.

Even though they are two people who have broken up, they are sweeter than many couples in the heat of passion.

That cautious collision, that probing of lingering feelings—the two are no longer acting; they are clearly dating on set.

Director Marc Webb originally intended to use several cutaway shots for this five-minute scene.

However, seeing the start of it, Marc Webb quickly has the cameraman follow the two, tracking them from different angles.

He doesn't call cut, and the two continue to perform until it forms a single, continuous long take.

Done in one go!

"Holy Moly, my god!"

"How did they do that?"

Both the director and the cameraman are conquered by this performance.

That seamless chemistry, and the brilliance each of them radiates—

even a rough guy uninterested in romance would be melted by this performance.

"Cut!"

Marc Webb comes up to them, unable to stop himself from applauding.

"Seriously, I've shot youth romance films before, but this scene of yours is even more moving than a romance film. Bravo!"

Xu Can and Stone exchange a look and smile.

"Let's just say we have great chemistry, right?"

"Mm, great chemistry." Stone's eyes can no longer leave Xu Can.

During the break, the two sit in their chairs, silent for a moment.

"I want to compete."

"What?"

"I said, I want to compete." Stone looks into Xu Can's eyes, enunciating every word.

"Compete for what? You're already the winner."

"Stop, don't use those tricks you use on 16-year-old girls on me. I'm not that stupid."

Stone wears an expression of absolute refusal to back down.

"That's right, Taylor is prettier than me, taller than me, has a better figure than me..."

"But my love for you is no less than hers."