Chapter 382

Watching Li Luo straighten his waist again, Ying Chanxi felt a faint pang of disappointment, but she quickly masked her expression and walked back toward the camera with a calm face.

Then, she directed Li Luo to try a few more such movements; during the four or five seconds it took him to walk from the starting point to the endpoint, she filmed with the camera, then sprinted to catch up with him.

After a few simple trials, Ying Chanxi reviewed the footage, confirmed there were no issues, and said to Li Luo: "Alright, let's record one full, serious take this time. Get ready."

"Mm, no problem." Li Luo nodded and gave a thumbs-up.

Watching Li Luo walk back to his starting position and stand still.

Under the night sky, the boy's figure stood tall, making Ying Chanxi's heart beat slightly faster.

After Li Luo asked, "Are we starting yet?" Ying Chanxi snapped back to herself, took several deep breaths, and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Three, two, one… start!"

As the words ended, Li Luo slowly walked along the riverbank toward the distance.

Under the night sky, the boy's figure walked ahead, far away, captured by the camera.

To the left lay the Yin River, its flow slowly passing with time.

The river's surface was calm, rippling gently in the night wind, dark and still.

At that moment, a slender figure entered the frame, running along the riverbank toward the figure ahead.

Hearing the sound of waves lapping against the shore and footsteps drawing closer, Li Luo suddenly turned around the moment he reached the endpoint.

Ying Chanxi, caught off guard by Li Luo's sudden turn, couldn't stop in time and stumbled into his arms.

"Mm…"

Ying Chanxi buried her head against Li Luo's chest, her hands pressed against his chest, and whispered: "You… you pause for a moment, then slowly wrap your arms around me."

"Okay." Li Luo raised his hands, hesitated as if thinking, then slowly placed them on Ying Chanxi's shoulders, gently slid them down her back, and finally held her tightly.

After several seconds, Ying Chanxi, cheeks flushed, lifted her head in his arms and gazed at him with dazed eyes.

Li Luo likewise lowered his head at the right moment, slightly bending forward, his face drawing closer.

Feeling Li Luo's breath again, Ying Chanxi's own breathing grew hurried.

She dared not look into Li Luo's eyes, but Li Luo kept his eyes wide open, staring at hers from such close range.

So Ying Chanxi, flustered, averted her gaze, then quickly shut her eyes, refusing to meet his gaze at all.

Watching the girl in his arms—her tightly shut eyes, flushed cheeks, rosy lips, and softly trembling body—Li Luo's breath also grew uneven.

To be honest, right now, if he wanted to, he could simply kiss her.

He believed Ying Chanxi wouldn't refuse.

But…

Li Luo held the embrace for about ten seconds, then quietly released his arms and whispered: "That should be enough, right?"

"Huh? Oh…" Ying Chanxi opened her eyes, unaware of how much time had passed.

Only after Li Luo let go did she finally realize what had happened, then hurried back to check the camera.

Li Luo followed behind; the two walked back to the camera and reviewed the footage.

"What do you think?" Ying Chanxi turned to ask.

"It's fine." Li Luo nodded. "You got everything you wanted. Any problems?"

"Hmm… I think… I think…" Ying Chanxi stared at the playback, then her gaze settled on Li Luo's neck. "I think we need to shoot it again."

"Why?" Li Luo asked. "What's wrong?"

"Here's the problem." Ying Chanxi pointed at Li Luo's orange scarf. "You're wearing a scarf, but I'm not. It looks odd, unbalanced."

"Then what do we do?"

"Take it off."

"Alright." Li Luo reached up and removed the orange scarf Yan Zhusheng had given him, then looked around. "Where do I put it?"

"Give it to me. I'll handle it." Ying Chanxi took the scarf, wrapped it once around the tripod, then tied it securely so it wouldn't fall to the ground. "Go back to your position. Let's try again."

"Okay."

Suddenly stripped of the warm scarf, the night wind chilled Li Luo slightly.

But after reaching the starting point and adjusting, he felt better.

He stood by the riverbank, turning to look at Ying Chanxi behind the camera.

The orange scarf coiled around the tripod, its end fluttering in the night wind—it looked quite nice.

When Ying Chanxi saw him standing still, she took a deep breath and called out again: "Three, two, one… start!"

Li Luo walked forward; Ying Chanxi chased from behind.

When the two met again and embraced, Ying Chanxi tilted her face upward, her flushed cheeks turned toward Li Luo, whose breath instantly drew near—almost kissing her.

Ying Chanxi pressed her lips tightly together, a voice in her mind constantly urging her on.

So she dared not look at Li Luo's lips, afraid that if she wasn't careful, she'd lean forward without thinking.

Yet this embrace made her reluctant to let go.

But Li Luo, ever obedient, always released her after ten or so seconds, preventing Ying Chanxi from fully savoring it.

So when they returned to the camera again to review the footage, Ying Chanxi said: "A car passed by just now—its headlights changed the lighting. It didn't come out well."

"Hmm… shoot again?"

"You won't get bored, will you?" Ying Chanxi asked weakly.

"How could I? It's fun." Li Luo chuckled. "Getting to hold the class top student this many times—if anyone found out, they'd be jealous to death."

"Hmph, sounds nice," Ying Chanxi forced her happy expression to remain stern, refusing to show her delight, and merely said: "Let's finish quickly, or our seniors will be done bathing."

"Shall I go back then?"

"Mm, go ahead."

Returning to the starting position, under Ying Chanxi's direction, Li Luo walked again before the camera.

Soon, Ying Chanxi threw herself into Li Luo's arms again.

The two clung tightly together, their eyes locking—as if they could stretch threads between them—but whenever Li Luo leaned closer, Ying Chanxi dared not meet his gaze, instantly shutting her eyes, pressing her lips shut, utterly terrified.

After ten seconds passed, this time Li Luo didn't immediately let go; instead, he smiled and asked, "You're squeezing your lips like that—afraid I'll suddenly kiss you? Being this guarded against me really hurts."

"Ah?" Ying Chanxi instinctively opened her eyes and suddenly saw Li Luo's head, which had already begun to pull back, snap forward again as if he truly meant to kiss her.

Just as her heart surged to her throat and her whole body flushed hot, Li Luo instantly stopped and chuckled, "Just scaring you—I didn't really mean to kiss you, did you think I would?"

"... I didn't think that at all!" Ying Chanxi stomped on his foot in annoyance, then immediately turned and ran back.

But the instant she turned her back to Li Luo, she hurriedly patted her slightly burning cheeks, her heart pounding wildly as if it might leap out of her chest.

She could even clearly hear her own heartbeat.

Li Luo is so mean!

Ying Chanxi couldn't help puffing out her cheeks, feeling she was already losing control.

Really... I want to...

In Senior's book, *Literary Era*, they even did that kind of thing... I'm just going to kiss him—what's the harm?

Besides... isn't this all for the music video?

Inside Ying Chanxi's mind, a little figure was jumping around, desperately finding her all sorts of suitable excuses.

"Hmm... a boat just passed by—I don't want anything on the river in the shot. Should we shoot again?"

"Okay, whatever you say."

"Do you think our pose looks like we're kissing? It just doesn't seem convincing."

"Then what should we do?"

"Hmm... maybe next time, get a little closer?"

"Careful—you might actually kiss."

"No way..."

"Every time you bend down like that, doesn't it feel too forward?"

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it—I'm the one chasing you from behind, so why, when you turn around, are you the one bending down to kiss me?"

"That makes sense. So how do we fix it?"

"Then... next time don't bend down—I'll tiptoe up instead, okay?"

"Try it."

"I didn't stand steady when I tiptoed just now—I tilted sideways. Let's do it again!"

"Alright."

"Oh no, another car just came—so annoying."

"It's fine, we're not missing much. Let's try again."

"Hmm... guess we have to."

As the number of takes increased, the two grew increasingly practiced.

Every movement, every chase, every embrace flowed smoothly.

Though as actors they weren't yet very skilled, this was a wide shot—it only needed atmosphere, and every minor flaw was hidden by distance and night.

Under these conditions,

the two embraced by the riverside at night: the girl tiptoeing, arms wrapped around the boy's neck, their lips meeting—it was truly a beautiful scene.

Though the previous dozen takes had been fake, now, as Ying Chanxi once again flung herself into Li Luo's arms and leaned in to kiss him, even after so many attempts, she still became slightly entranced.

Hmm... just once...

Just this once...

No one's around to see.

Even if the camera caught it, it's only a silhouette—whether we kissed or not, we can always say we didn't.

Ying Chanxi's heart pounded wildly as she finally gathered the courage to lock eyes with Li Luo.

Her eyes widened, staring straight at him—so intensely that Li Luo broke eye contact, too embarrassed to keep gazing.

But in that instant, as Li Luo shifted his gaze, watching his wandering eyes, Ying Chanxi's heartbeat skipped—as if, after losing countless times, she'd finally won once.

It granted her a sudden surge of courage—or recklessness.

The next moment, Ying Chanxi's mind went hot; she pushed up on her tiptoes, shut her eyes, and crashed into him.

"Mmm... hiss..."

In an instant, their bodies sprang apart, both clutching their noses and gasping in pain.

Li Luo held one hand to his nose, the other touching his lips, still dazed.

That fleeting softness... he didn't know whether to feel pain or sweetness.

But Ying Chanxi's face was now blazing red; once she realized what she'd done, shame flooded her mind.

All she could think: what do I do, what do I do, what do I do...

I really kissed him...

But, but… Oh no, I'm so embarrassed… My nose hurts so much!

I accidentally bumped into you!

So embarrassing ahhhhhh!

Ying Chanxi kept thinking about this, tears welling up from the pain in her nose.

She really wanted to die from her own stupidity… She had pushed forward too hard; her lips had indeed touched, but only for an instant, then they were forced apart by their colliding noses.

She hadn't felt a single bit of the beauty of her first kiss!

Ying Chanxi now regretted it—she should never have been so reckless… How could she possibly explain this to Li Luo?

So embarrassing wuwuwu…

"Are you okay?" Li Luo's voice sounded beside her ear.

Ying Chanxi didn't dare respond, only shook her head vigorously.

"You just…"

"I'll go check the footage!"

Hearing Li Luo ask that, Ying Chanxi immediately turned and ran toward the camera, too afraid to face the question directly.

Li Luo rubbed his nose, watching Ying Chanxi flee in such an adorable way, and couldn't help but smile helplessly.

But then his fingers brushed lightly over his lips—the lingering sensation of that moment made him inhale sharply, temporarily suppressing some restless emotion.

When he returned to the camera, both of them remained silent.

They simply watched the playback quietly.

When they saw Ying Chanxi suddenly rise on her toes to kiss him, only for their noses to collide and instantly separate, Ying Chanxi blushed furiously and turned off the camera, stammering softly: "That… this…"

Li Luo said nothing more, only asked: "Shall we shoot it again? We can't quit halfway."

"Huh? Uh… yeah!"

Ying Chanxi nodded eagerly, her eyes faintly hopeful, as she watched Li Luo return to the starting position—her heartbeat thudded loudly in her ears.

Thanks to over a dozen rehearsals, both of them were extremely familiar with this simple routine, almost muscle-memory now.

So even with all her shyness and nervousness, Ying Chanxi still performed the chase scene perfectly, successfully throwing herself into Li Luo's arms.

This time.

Ying Chanxi remained shy, still not daring to look at Li Luo.

But she still mustered the courage to wrap her arms around his neck, rise gently on her toes, and press her soft lips toward him.

When Li Luo's breath brushed her cheek again, that heat made Ying Chanxi flush all over, her face burning, her ears crimson.

When she couldn't help opening her eyes to see what lay before her, she instantly met Li Luo's gaze—he had been watching her all along.

In that instant, countless images flashed through Ying Chanxi's mind.

It felt as if her breath had stopped, time itself paused.

She looked at Li Luo, her eyes brimming with countless emotions, softly pressed her lips together, then didn't close her eyes again—she lifted her toes slightly.

Their nose tips brushed past each other, then occasionally pressed and rubbed together.

Those few short seconds felt like years, yet vanished in the blink of an eye.

Softness and sweetness bloomed in her heart; she felt weightless, utterly unaware of where she was.

Until those brief seconds passed—the river still flowed, the orange scarf on the tripod fluttered in the wind.

Ying Chanxi breathed lightly, leaning against Li Luo's chest, holding him tightly.

When she came back to herself, she dared not look into Li Luo's eyes again.

"This… was just for filming the MV. It doesn't mean anything else," Ying Chanxi whispered.

"Mm."

"This was my first kiss," Ying Chanxi said, annoyed by his lackluster reaction, and tapped his chest. "I sacrificed a lot for your MV."

"It was mine too."

Ying Chanxi instantly lifted her head, surprised and delighted, staring at Li Luo.

Though she'd thought it unlikely before—that Li Luo probably hadn't really been with his senior—

Watching the intricate details in Literary Era had still left her uneasy.

Until now—Li Luo's answer burst in her heart like fireworks, her face glowing with joy.

"Why would I lie to you?" Li Luo touched Ying Chanxi's lips, inhaled deeply, and restrained himself from kissing her again. "Let's check how it turned out?"

"Mm…"

Ying Chanxi nodded rapidly, stepped away from Li Luo's arms, turned, and skipped joyfully toward the camera, as if pink bubbles were rising all over her body.

When Li Luo followed her to the back of the camera and watched the footage again, their heads leaned together.

Though it looked nearly identical to the previous dozen takes, for some reason, just watching it made them both savor the taste again.

"H-how was that one?" Ying Chanxi whispered.

"Mm…" Li Luo stared at the screen, lost in thought, still stirred inside. "I think… maybe we could…"

As he spoke, his phone in his pocket rang suddenly.

He froze, pulled out his phone, glanced at it—it was Yan Zhusheng calling.

He checked the time—it was already 10:30 p. m.

Clearly, Yan Zhusheng, freshly out of the shower, had noticed they weren't home.

"Hello?"

"Li Luo," Yan Zhusheng's puzzled voice came through. "Where did you and Xixi go? We can't find you."

"Yeah," Xu Youyu chimed in beside her. "Didn't you sneak out to eat something delicious?"

Hearing her senior say that, Ying Chanxi's face flushed crimson; she pretended not to hear, feigning adjustment of the camera, her cheeks burning.

"Cough... Xixi thought the night scenery was nice, so she dragged me out to film the MV," Li Luo said in his usual tone. "We've just finished filming and are heading back right away."

"Oh," Yan Zhusheng nodded. "Then hurry up—Senior Sister says she wants to play Flight Chess."

"Alright, right away."