Chapter 167: Intimate Contact and the Advancing Liu Tianxian

I can follow behind you, like a shadow chasing light as it wanders in dreams.

I can wait at this crossroad, no matter whether you pass by or not…

Liu Tianxian murmured these words aloud.

For some reason, her heart felt bitter.

That ache was like years of longing, desperate to be spoken.

Yet once she saw his eyes, everything was enough.

Humble, cautious, loving but unattainable…

"I think I understand what kind of state this is."

Liu Tianxian looked at Cheng Chen holding his guitar, and after a long silence, said.

"Alright, then let's prepare for filming this afternoon—the schedule is tight, is that okay?"

"No problem."

Before filming the MV for "Chasing the Light," the crew had already secured the location.

"Chasing the Light," as a soundtrack for the drama "Summer's Not Yet Here," was especially fitting.

Cheng Chen had no intention of changing this—the MV's story setting would remain on campus.

Liu Tianxian, newly arrived on campus, bumped into Cheng Chen playing guitar.

Scenes unfolded: Cheng Chen focused on playing guitar, Cheng Chen helping her out of a tight spot, Cheng Chen escorting her home in the rain.

The MV's visuals of the two were both sweet and painful.

From the confusion of their first meeting, to the quiet affection growing between them, to the bewilderment after misunderstanding.

All were revealed in sync with the plot and the melody…

When Cheng Chen arrived at the set in the afternoon, the scene was already set up.

Liu Tianxian wore a simple ponytail and a youthful blue-and-white summer school uniform.

She looked utterly pure and ethereal, brimming with fairy-like grace, yet also possessed the casual warmth of a girl next door.

Especially when she gazed innocently at the distance with her textbooks hugged to her chest—it was truly heart-stopping.

This simple outfit style revealed her entire aura.

Seeing this look, Cheng Chen nodded in satisfaction.

After the director briefly went over the scenes with Cheng Chen and Liu Tianxian, preparations began…

"Alright, ready, action!"

The director called out.

Cheng Chen sat on the grass of the playground, guitar in hand, beginning to play.

I have to say, Cheng Chen looks especially handsome wearing a white shirt while playing the guitar.

The director's assistant stood behind the monitor, her eyes fixed on Cheng Chen like a fangirl's.

"So handsome!"

The entertainment industry never lacked handsome men and beautiful women, but unlike the future, being handsome or pretty alone wasn't enough.

You couldn't just pose in front of a camera, rely on the internet or short videos, gain massive exposure, and become an internet celebrity before entering entertainment.

Such examples were everywhere in the future.

But in this era, if you were gold, you feared being buried; if you had fine wine, you feared being in a deep alley!

Resources were held by entertainment capital—no matter how handsome or beautiful an artist was, without promotion channels or exposure, they remained ordinary.

That's why, for years before Cheng Chen took minor roles, despite his good looks and decent acting, he still hadn't become famous.

"Cut!"

The director called out, "Cut!" and said:

"Excellent. The female lead, prepare to enter—directly into the scene where they meet."

"Understood."

Liu Tianxian, ponytail tied, textbooks hugged to her chest, entered slowly, drawn by Cheng Chen's focused guitar playing.

Her aura was fresh and ethereal, especially her pure eyes, deeply captivating.

Her profile was as beautiful as a painting, like the first love, the white moonlight in every boy's heart…

She stood still, quietly watching Cheng Chen play; the two framed together against the clean, simple backdrop of the campus grass.

In the frame, the boy was tall and handsome, the girl pure and elegant.

"Oh my god, they look so perfect together—I feel pink bubbles filling the air!"

"So sweet! This kind of youth feels truly beautiful!"

"Seeing them like this reminds me of my lost youth."

"Wait, director, was your high school boyfriend as handsome as Cheng Chen?"

Director: …

The entire crew watched them through the monitor,

continuously praising them.

Liu Tianxian's mother, Liu Xiaoli, had originally planned to come along, but after visiting in the morning and reading the script,

seeing no intimate scenes, she greeted Cheng Chen and left.

Liu Xiaoli still trusted Cheng Chen deeply, given the good impression he'd left on her during the "Immortal Sword I" set.

Ambitious, hardworking, humble, polite, talented, good character, and handsome to boot.

If Liu Tianxian weren't still young and in the upward phase of her career, she'd have considered bringing them together.

…

"Good, get ready, start!"

This scene was moved to the classroom, depicting the lead characters playfully roughhousing in class.

By accident, the female lead stumbled and fell into the male lead's arms.

This is one of the few "intimate" shots in the entire "Chasing Light" MV…

Cheng Chen, wearing headphones, was diligently doing his homework at his desk, while Liu Tianxian walked quietly behind him, hands clasped behind her back.

"Guess who I am."

Liu Tianxian covered Cheng Chen's eyes from behind and asked with a chuckle.

At this point, the two were already good friends and knew the other was just teasing.

Cheng Chen deliberately guessed the wrong name, then, while Liu Tianxian wasn't paying attention, he quickly pulled her hands away, turned around, and looked at her.

As a result, Liu Tianxian lost her balance and was about to fall—Cheng Chen suddenly stood up and caught her in his arms…

"Cut to close-up—I need their facial expressions!"

The director, sitting beside the monitor, excitedly spoke into his walkie-talkie.

"Slowly push the camera in!"

On screen, Liu Tianxian's shock faded; her clear, beautiful eyes fixed on Cheng Chen's cheek.

Cheng Chen, for a moment, was at a loss, yet didn't want to let go; the two gazed silently at each other.

Standing in this intimate, ambiguous posture…

Looking at Cheng Chen's handsome face so close, Liu Tianxian's heart quickened.

At this moment, she couldn't tell if she was acting or in reality—she only wished this could last forever.

Slowly, she closed her eyes; the longing, happiness, and shyness on her face were portrayed with such depth and precision, lifelike and vivid.

"This girl's amazing."

Watching the exquisite expression on her face, Cheng Chen couldn't help but admire her inwardly.

"Cut! Excellent!"

After this scene finished, applause broke out in the classroom—no surprise, these were professional actors.

Cheng Chen and Liu Tianxian's performance truly gave them a lesson; it was incredibly entertaining to watch!

Hearing the director's call, Cheng Chen slowly released Liu Tianxian.

After leaving Cheng Chen's embrace, Liu Tianxian still felt reluctant, a faint hint of disappointment quietly appearing in her eyes.

"Good, cut to next scene!"

After all the campus scenes were shot, what remained was the scene of the two meeting again years later.

After all, high school romance doesn't end in true happiness—if they'd had a happy ending in high school, the MV wouldn't pass review.

So Cheng Chen designed a scenario where, years later, the two meet again after entering society.

…

The MV's length must match the song; "Chasing Light" is about four minutes long.

So the footage must be at least five minutes, since opening, ending, and visual effects take up time.

Although there's that much time, considering "Chasing Light" is a campus love story…

Most scenes take place within the school, with few transitions needed.

Also, since an MV doesn't demand rigid acting precision, as long as the emotion is conveyed well, it's fine.

So, with the crew working overtime, filming was completed in three days.

After the MV wrapped, Cheng Chen took Liu Tianxian out to dinner—he naturally didn't forget to invite Liu Xiaoli too.

But Liu Xiaoli had something to handle, so dinner was just Liu Tianxian and Cheng Chen.

"Xiaoyao Gege, I'm not late, right?"

Liu Tianxian wore a light blue sheer dress, looking ethereal, lively, and graceful.

It carried classical charm mixed with a touch of playfulness, perfectly fitting her age.

Clearly, Liu Tianxian had dressed up carefully for this outing.

Those who knew Liu Tianxian well knew she was the type who was beautiful and spoiled.

Her fashion sense was always a mystery, often resulting in "outfit disasters."

When other female stars appeared in public, they either wore elegant, refined dresses or sharp, authoritative blazers.

Who didn't meticulously showcase their best side?

But Liu Tianxian often wore mismatched clothes—sometimes even appeared in pajamas, and had been caught multiple times with no makeup.

Still, her natural beauty and poise meant that even in messy outfits, she still outshone other actresses…

"No, I just got here too. Pick whatever you like."

Cheng Chen smiled and handed her the menu.

This was a members-only private restaurant in Jingcheng; the place itself had nothing particularly outstanding.

But Cheng Chen chose it for its privacy—the restaurant protected clients' confidentiality well, with no paparazzi or entertainment reporters.

"Okay."

Liu Tianxian took the menu and said brightly.

"Hmm… this, this, and this—I've picked. Xiaoyao Gege, you pick the rest."

Liu Tianxian grinned.

Cheng Chen ordered a few more dishes, then handed the menu to the server.

"Girl, how did your audition go?"

Hearing this question, Liu Tianxian wrinkled her cute nose and said:

They still don't know anything; Director Ji Zhong told me to come back and wait for news.

But I've waited this long and still haven't heard a single word—could I have been rejected?

The little girl is very ambitious about acting; Zhang Dahu is unquestionably an authoritative director in television dramas.

If she lands a role in his drama, especially one based on Jin Yong's IP, it will surely give her career a significant boost.

So she places great importance on the role of Xiao Long Nu.

"Don't worry, the role of Xiao Long Nu is definitely yours."

Cheng Chen reassured her.

"Why? Did you get some news, Xiaoyao Gege?"

She thought that since Cheng Chen was so famous, he might have some inside sources.

Cheng Chen smiled. What news could he possibly have? Should he say he'd seen her play Xiao Long Nu on TV?

Cheng Chen waved his hand and said:

"The role of Xiao Long Nu shares similarities with Wang Yuyan. When you played Wang Yuyan, even Jin Daxia praised you highly."

Zhang Dahu, as Jin Daxia's little fanboy, will surely take his opinion seriously."

In fact, after the 2003 version of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" aired, Jin Daxia commented on Liu Tianxian:

"If you hadn't played Wang Yuyan, thousands upon thousands of viewers would've accused Jin Yong of making things up."

"After you played her, everyone realized such a beauty truly exists in this world."

Of course, he would say something like this for nearly every Jin Yong adaptation.

But this also indirectly reflected how excellent Liu Tianxian truly was.

"Moreover, you've since appeared in other films and TV dramas, even starring as the female lead in 'The Legend of Sword and Fairy.'"

With that experience and your acting training, who else would Zhang Dahu choose but you?"

"Be confident—you'll definitely get it. You're the Immortal Sister, Liu Tianxian!"

Cheng Chen said with a smile.

"You're exaggerating."

Hearing Cheng Chen's words, Liu Tianxian felt slightly embarrassed.

Yet inside, it felt as if she'd swallowed honey—she was suddenly overcome with shyness for no reason.

She leaned back in her chair, her cheeks flushed, slowly lowering her long eyelashes, exuding a unique beauty.

Like a lotus rising pure from muddy water—clean, clear, and elegant.

Looking at Liu Tianxian across from him, Cheng Chen's heart stirred, then he immediately suppressed the thought.

He silently recited to himself:

"She's still a minor—absolutely not legal!"

But as he gazed at her pure, delicate face, he silently added in his mind:

"At the very least, I'll wait until after her eighteenth birthday. Yeah, eighteen!"

Liu Tianxian had no idea what Cheng Chen was thinking. After a moment's hesitation, she said:

"Xiaoyao Gege, can you teach me how to sing?"

"Sing?"

"Yes, I actually really like singing, but I've never had formal professional training."

After filming the MV with you, I really want to learn how to sing—it feels so beautiful…"

She silently added in her heart:

"Especially when I see you sing."

Liu Tianxian clearly knew what she truly wanted.

Just from her rejecting her mother's arrangements and resolutely entering the entertainment industry, it was obvious.

Once this girl made up her mind, no one could easily stop her.

And whatever she decided to do, she would see it through.

Although she didn't know what Cheng Chen truly felt for her,

that didn't stop her from slowly drawing closer to him.

Learning to sing was a carefully considered excuse to get closer to him.

After all, they were both actors, constantly traveling across the country for shoots; she never intended to become a singer by learning from Cheng Chen.

But at least it gave her an excuse to call him and chat.

Yeah, calling to chat was for learning to sing—and texting too!

Cheng Chen had no idea about Liu Tianxian's little schemes; he was still thinking about which song to teach her.

In fact, Liu Tianxian had already released an album—but that wouldn't happen until two years later.

In 2005, Liu Tianxian officially signed with Sony Records, even taking a year-long trip to Japan to study.

That year, she turned down many film and TV roles, spending every day practicing singing, dancing, and language skills.

Finally, in 2006, she released her self-titled album "Liu Yifei," containing ten songs.

The song "Xin Ji" from the album won the Golden Song Award at the 6th China Original Music Pop Chart.

This showed that Liu Tianxian indeed had a talent for singing.

Of course, even without talent or experience, there were the veteran audio engineers in the recording studio.

Haven't you seen how Da Mimi became wildly popular with her song "Love Suicide"?

Everyone could hum a line:

"Gently hold you in my hands…"

The fiery scene was almost as intense as Cheng Chen's kindergarten anthem "The Lone Brave."

……