The Best Director

Chapter 217: Tranquility

“Ready?” In a tidy hotel room, Wang Yang and Jessica stood in front of the living room sofa—her room. As for that suite looking as if it had been raided, they had cleared away some sensitive items and then called for hotel service. Jessica nodded seriously, “Let’s start.” She wanted to try and see how her acting had changed after that unforgettable experience.

Wang Yang looked into her eyes, putting other thoughts aside for the moment, and began to explain the scene of the rehearsal. Andrea “suddenly” got told by her boyfriend that he wanted to break up, standing lost and in pain on the street, Wang Yang said, “You know Andrea is completely bewildered. She loves her family and boyfriend deeply, and she has always felt that there isn’t a problem. She’s too busy to attend any anniversary events because of work, because of her career. She just needs to endure for one year, then everyone will understand her…”

He paused, suddenly gaining a clearer understanding of Andrea’s state of mind at that time. He continued, “But then she gets dumped. She feels anger, confusion, helplessness, pain… you feel it yourself.” Jessica hummed, closing her eyes and saying, “I’m feeling it…” Thinking about the events of last night, her heart started to ache, and she really wanted to forget it all…

“Jessica,” Wang Yang’s voice was soft and gentle. Seeing her furrow her brows, he said in a hypnotic tone, “You need to learn how to get into character. Feeling those emotions and atmospheres is just to help you enter the role more easily, but you need to become that character, understand? You have to let go completely, without any guard. You are not facing this story, these stories as Jessica; you are in the identity of the role.”

“There are no nude scenes, no kissing scenes, nothing you are reluctant to act in. I am the director; I will protect you! You don’t need to be on guard, just like in animal simulation class, release your nature! Show what’s in your heart! You won’t lose yourself, you won’t lose all this. Just relax, feel those emotions, imagine those stories, forget your happiness, your smile, and your life, and then in front of you is someone who looks just like you, but it isn’t you. She is troubled—that is Andrea. Go and embrace her! Embrace her with confidence…”

Wang Yang paid attention to Jessica’s lips as they trembled; she seemed to be struggling internally. This problem he had newly discovered last night when he realized that acting for her was only a secondary consideration and that her true pursuit was something else. He realized that the recognition she desired was “the world’s most beautiful bride” and not “the Oscar for Best Actress,” and he understood why she found it so hard to get into character.

It wasn’t a matter of talent, it was that her very heart was filled with great resistance, as if she feared becoming the character, as if it were a shameful act.

Indeed, every great actor loves to transform into someone else, and their nature has already been released. On set, they can “split” into the character without any reservation. Some actors can get in and out of character very naturally, while others can’t extricate themselves for ages. In any case, Jessica was not one of them; she resisted and was on guard, always reminding herself that she was Jessica. How could she act that way?

So he suddenly understood why, in her mind’s “library” of film and television, where others accumulated acting experience and life experiences, preparing for an acting breakthrough, hers got progressively worse. The older she got and the more she experienced, the more titles she accumulated, the less she was able to become someone else, leaving only a Jessica, because there was more and more she couldn’t bear to lose.

This was a deeply ingrained mindset and character trait, and a sudden change was impossible. He didn’t feel he had the right to change her, nor did he think it would be better if she did change, because then she wouldn’t be Jessica anymore.

However, in front of him, she could be less willing and more easily do better, even if it wasn’t for an Oscar; she could become a great actress. As long as he could eliminate, or at least lessen, the vigilance and resistance in her heart, and add that emotion that helped her get into character easily…

“I’m the director!” Hearing Jessica’s slightly heavier breathing, Wang Yang continued in his hypnotic tone, “I am the director, I am the director! You can trust yourself to me completely, one hundred percent with me, just with me, this person, just this voice. Trust and lean on me! When I say Action, you have emotions and stories only from the script, you are Andrea; when I say Cut, you are Jessica.”

“So, I’ll count to ten, and then we’ll start performing this part. 1, 2, 3… 8, 9, 10!”

As he spoke, Jessica felt her heart growing calmer and more open; he was Wang Yang the asshole, just trust herself to him—only him… Before her eyes, a luminous path appeared, and at the end of the light-filled corridor stood a figure. As the counting continued, she ran swiftly towards it, getting closer and closer—the figure turned out to look just like her!… It was Andrea!

Wang Yang watched as she suddenly opened her eyes and simultaneously shouted, “Action!”

This is a close-up shot, so the performance is all focused on the upper body and face—Andrea’s first reaction after being dumped, standing on the street.

Jessica was stupefied for a second before slowly revealing a complex expression that was a mix of laughter and tears, her head tilting slightly up as her eyes reddened, blinking in bewilderment as she reached up to dab at the moist corners of her eyes; her sad, pretty face slowly tensed up, lips quivering, she again stifled her sorrow with a sniff and her vacant gaze flashed with determination before she turned silently and walked away.

“CUT! Wow—!” Wang Yang couldn’t help but admire, walking up to her and hugging her shoulders, planting a kiss on her and smiling as he looked at her smiling face, nodding and saying, “You performed brilliantly! Unbelievable! Too good!”

Before, when filming this scene on the set, she was expressionless; then she would affect an eye-roll and press her lips together, her micro-expressions and subtle movements still the same. The emotion she experienced endowed her with the capital to become the character, while letting her guard down allowed her to break through that door.

Though not as stunning as some highly gifted actresses, it was a new level for her; she had delivered a performance that was symmetrically excellent compared to her livelier times, and even better. Perhaps she had finally learned how to become the character, finally understanding how to portray the character’s emotions.

“That wasn’t acting.” Jessica, stirred again to sadness by the performance, felt tears well up at the corners of her eyes, and with a smile, she said, “You’re satisfied now, right?” Wang Yang reached out and silently wiped her tears, bending down to kiss her eyes a few times, tasting the salt of her tears as he held her tightly and said, “Baby, I’m so sorry, I… I have no excuses, I’m very sorry.”

Leaning against his chest, Jessica was quiet for a while before suddenly looking up with a sweet, radiant smile, “Did I really perform that well?” Wang Yang nodded immediately and said with a smile, “Indeed, very well! It’s your best yet.” Jessica seemed to recover her liveliness and cocked her head, declaring excitedly, “I felt it too! Just now, it was like I wasn’t in control, as if something was driving my performance, and I didn’t think about whether I was Andrea or Jessica…”

“It was fantastic.” Wang Yang smiled and kissed her forehead again, not saying it was the emotion that drove her. But it was emotion, just like Will Smith depicting Chris Gardner in the subway station bathroom scene, like Robert Downey Jr. in a scene of abandonment, both requiring emotion and immersion into the role.

The two then tried out a few more scene shots, and Jessica’s performance was very good. If they were on set, they would have changed to several locations to film. After testing out the results, they tacitly moved on, leaving it for the set!

Taking advantage of Sunday, the couple went out for a stroll and shopping spree, with Jessica crazily buying a lot of things, picking up almost anything she saw, utterly lacking the selective nature supposedly inherent to women. Although they laughed and chatted all day, there seemed to be a slight chill in comparison to before, as if a low, thin wall was still between them, visible to each other and able to hold hands, yet still separated by the wall.

Wang Yang wanted to be with Jessica all the time, not leaving her side, but come evening, as he had a pre-arranged coffee shop meeting with Joss Whedon to discuss “Firefly,” and seeing Jessica laughing and happy, he went ahead as planned.

Joss Whedon, middle-aged, with a 178cm stature that had slightly rounded, his facial features becoming unclear with his round face, deep-set eyes and a balding buzz cut gave him a somewhat endearing look. Dressed today in a white jacket and black pants, he sat in a quiet corner of the café, stirring his coffee, watching Wang Yang who was across the table thoroughly engrossed in reading the thick script.

Wang Yang took a sip from his coffee cup, his eyes fixed on the English-filled script, with occasional simple Chinese phrases like, “Damn it.”, “Bastard!”, “Looking for trouble!”, “Sorry.”, “Understood?”, “Behave yourself.”, and so on, along with some new slang, such as “SHINY,” which had replaced “COOL”…

Lots of characters and plot threads describing the life of a “space cowboy” on the frontier of space with sports, balls, bars, and gangs… The dialogue was interesting and the characters were charismatic.

However, these were all more fitting for a TV series. A movie could selectively showcase certain details but couldn’t revolve around themes like a “ballroom party,” just as it couldn’t focus on other threads, though a “heist” could indeed be a highlight.

“Hmm, very intriguing!” Wang Yang set down the script after flipping through and reading most of the content, already forming an impression—vast and beautiful, humorously engaging, the technology not as developed as other space films, but distinctive and cool… He looked at the smiling Joss Whedon and nodded, saying, “This world setting is very interesting and bright, and the crew aboard the ship is also quite memorable.”

Joss Whedon took the coffee spoon, took a sip of coffee, and said with a smile, “Thanks. Cowboys and China have given me loads of inspiration.” His interest piqued, he asked, “My Chinese isn’t written incorrectly, right?”

“No, but it’s almost all swear words.” Wang Yang laughed as he patted the hand-written Chinese characters for “Serenity” on the script cover. Amidst Joss Whedon’s chuckling, he said, “I think we could add something more fun, like Captain Mal reciting ancient Chinese poems, ‘Before my bed, the moon is shining bright… Just kidding.” He shook his head with a smile and continued to review the movie script outline that Joss Whedon had written these past few days.

The world of “Firefly” is set 500 years in the future of human society. Earthlings have discovered a “new solar system” with dozens of planets and hundreds of moons, leading to an explosive migration from Earth to colonize this new solar system. The story takes place solely within this new solar system; there are no aliens, only humans and earth-like flora and fauna.

By that time, only two superpowers remained, America and China. They formed the federal government, or the Star Alliance, controlling the central planets of the new solar system. The two cultures fused with each other, and technology was highly developed; meanwhile, the planets and moons on the fringes of the new solar system were being colonized by “space cowboys,” who established new small governments, but without the facilities of a high-tech civilization, it was quite desolate.

Then the war broke out, and the small governments that formed the “Independents” obviously lost to the Star Alliance. Mal, who served as a sergeant in the army during the “Battle of Serenity Valley,” bought a Firefly-class spaceship and named it Serenity. He was a tough-talking but soft-hearted guy. While he engaged in burglary and looting, he was fundamentally righteous, though he liked to present himself as ruthless and unscrupulous, often with a humorous remark, making him a cowboy captain with a rebellious charm.

His identity, however, seemed somewhat mysterious, appearing as if he had grown up on a ranch from a young age, although Joss Whedon’s script did not clarify this, probably leaving it dependent on the plot development.

The main crew included “Zoe,” a black woman with a certain combat prowess and knowledge. She was Mal’s subordinate during the war and loyally followed him ever since, but there was no romantic involvement between them. Her Caucasian husband, Wash, was the pilot of Serenity, a bit timid and quite the “geek,” who liked to wear Hawaiian-style clothes, collect dinosaur models, etc. His piloting skills were excellent, even though Serenity was a clunker that could lose unknown parts and explode at any moment.

Jayne wasn’t a beauty, but a big, muscular man with low IQ and EQ, joining the ship as a mercenary “main gunman.” His combat ability was very strong, but he was an absolute fool in daily life. Joss Whedon noted, “He’s the kind that constantly asks stupid questions.”

Kaylee was the ship’s mechanic, albeit untrained formally; she maintained Serenity with her intuition and talent for mechanical devices. She was a carefree, naive girl who secretly harbored feelings for Simon, the doctor brother among a pair of siblings. Simon, a first-rate trauma surgeon, tried every way to avoid his own emotions because he felt his most important task was to take good care of his sister, River.

River, having her mind disrupted by the Star Alliance’s secret experiments, acted like a mental patient—strange, expressionless, taciturn. In terms of combat ability, she was the strongest on the ship and possibly in the entire new solar system, with almost no equal. Proficient in various martial arts, she seldom used firearms.

Additionally, there were others on the ship like a priest, a companion girl, and various characters that Joss Whedon proposed but didn’t include in the story…

Apart from the Star Alliance and the exiled Independents, there was another force in the new solar system, the terrifying Reavers. They were humans, from unknown origins, who liked to float in space in fleet formations. Devoid of any humanity, they mutilated themselves until their faces were a bloody mess. Each Reaver’s combat ability was terrifying; they piloted their ships wandering the edges of space, committing atrocities, cannibalism, destruction…

The Reavers were a dreaded existence to civilians, merchants, military ships… anyone who heard of them lost courage, as their arrival meant death and destruction.

“Hmm…” Wang Yang looked over the movie script outline and then flipped open the TV series setting document to start reading. The millions of Reavers were actually originally normal humans who were participants in the Star Alliance’s “Soul Cleansing Program.”

The Star Alliance wanted to create a “brave new world,” a new work without conflict or ugliness, only joy and kindness, which would then be extended throughout the entire new solar system. They chose a planet and sent millions of people there, releasing a substance into the planet’s atmosphere meant to “eradicate the human fighting spirit.” However, the experiment failed and those who participated turned into the extremely vicious Reavers, which then became a secret of the Star Alliance.

River’s heightened senses allowed her to hear the cries and screams that once emanated from the ravaging planet. She could potentially leak secrets, so her brother Simon rescued her from the laboratory and smuggled her aboard Serenity. After that, the Star Alliance dispatched the shadow police “blue gloves” to relentlessly track down the siblings.

Once River sensed the coordinates of the signal again, Serenity decided to head for that planet and also uncovered the secret of the Reavers. Naturally, Mal was determined to make the secret public, setting a course for a location where the disc with the secret could broadcast a signal that would be received by around a dozen nearby planets. The Star Alliance would not sit idly by. They played the role of obstructers, but after a struggle, Mal and the others managed to broadcast the signal, and Serenity continued on its course.

Watching this, Wang Yang gradually furrowed his brows, his mind turning to some matters. After a long silence, he took a sip of coffee and looked at Joss Whedon, saying, “Joss, I’m pretty sure I’m interested in filming it.” Joss Whedon’s face lit up at these words, and Wang Yang added, “How about this? You get the film screenplay ready and then hand it over to me, I need to incorporate my ideas.”

“Sure, no problem!” Joss Whedon had no hesitation. Handing over “Firefly” to someone like the magical Yang, a boss + producer + director who was also an Oscar Best Director, meant as a screenwriter he didn’t have much say. It’s usual for screenplays to be modified and reinterpreted by directors. When he handed over the screenplay of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” to Fox, and they botched the production, he could only suffer in pain.

Fortunately, he later had the chance to bring “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” to the small screen, erasing the failure of the movie version; and now he was handing this screenplay to the magical Yang. What would the result be? Joss Whedon then asked, “Yang, can you talk about your ideas now? How are you planning to film it?”

“This world is cool, and so are the people on this ship. Are there other independent soldiers? What does the technology look like in the central planets? More interesting elements after cultural integration?” Wang Yang mused aloud about that world, and Joss Whedon nodded, as all these were ways to expand and enlarge the universe. Wang Yang paused, shrugged, and said, “A single movie definitely won’t cover it all, but we can turn it into a long series, three, four parts… The first one is crucial.”

Joss Whedon’s eyes sparkled immediately, as this goal was a new “Star Wars,” a new “Star Trek”!

“Joss.” Wang Yang smiled, sincerely inviting, “If the first movie starts filming, how about you come on as a co-producer? If there’s a second one, I don’t know if I’d still be directing… You know I want to try out different genres while I’m young. You can direct the second part.”

“OK! Of course.” Joss Whedon could hardly contain his excitement and pleasure, nodding and laughing, “OK, OK! Honestly, this is exactly what I’ve been hoping for.” Both men laughed heartily. This was just the sentence Joss Whedon had been hoping for; he had longed to enter the movie industry, not just to make low-budget B-movies but had never found the opportunity, even though he had significant achievements and a loyal fan base on the small screen.

Yet that was the small screen, and sometimes the distance to the big screen felt vast; he had never been a producer for a movie, never directed one.

He still needed to learn because his camera work was deeply influenced by television, leading to a narrow conception of visual scenes. If “Firefly” were turned into a movie, it should be a broad, Western-style film. Becoming a co-producer would allow him to learn the camera techniques of the magical Yang; if there were a second part, he would be the director…

“This is truly brilliant!” Joss Whedon chuckled, his deep-set eyes narrowing in sheer delight as he sipped his coffee, grateful for having read that newspaper and made that call.

“Right now, my mind is a mess; I really need to think carefully about what I want to film,” Wang Yang finally responded to the earlier question. He seemed unable to be genuinely happy as he said, “How to tell this story, how to turn these elements into a good movie… Anyway, one thing I can be sure of is that the investment will be very, very large. Also, I want to add a Chinese character to it, don’t you think it’s quite inappropriate now?”

He spread his hands, laughing, “In such a setting where America and China have formed the Star Alliance, with equal populations and two cultures merging together, there’s not a single Chinese person in the script.” He shrugged again, laughing, “Are all the Chinese living in the central planets? Impressive! But please, why am I here? I need to introduce you to my grandfather, a gold prospector, a strong man with the spirit of adventure and pioneering in his blood.”

“Ha!” Joss Whedon laughed a bit self-deprecatingly, saying, “Yang, you know it’s because of market considerations that I designed the characters and story this way. I really hope to have Chinese faces. If you’re the one directing, I believe you can make the market accept it.”

Wang Yang nodded, of course aware of this fact. In fact, Joss Whedon’s setting had already displayed his fondness for Chinese culture and Chinese people, which was one of the reasons why he liked the screenplay the moment he saw it. Wang Yang thought seriously for a moment and said, “No need to add characters for now, just change the skin color, since the cultural characteristics have all merged, right? How about we turn Jayne into a Chinese character?”

“I have no problem with that,” Joss Whedon nodded nonchalantly, aware that Wang Yang knew what he was doing and had everything under control. The change in Jayne’s character was indeed a trivial matter. However, he couldn’t help but smile and ask, “Yang, am I wrong, or do you want to act?”

“Don’t joke around. I might make a cameo, but as the lead? Forget it…” Wang Yang chuckled and shook his head, then continued, “I’m actually looking for an actor who really knows Kung Fu Hustle. Maybe you know Daniel Wu from my new movie ‘MIT-21-TEAM.’ I think he’d be perfect for Jayne, funny, playing a genius then a dumb muscle man…”

Joss Whedon knew enough about Wang Yang to recognize the name Daniel Wu once he heard it. He looked puzzled and said, “But Daniel Wu isn’t bulky enough.”

“Yes, that’s why, if he’s interested, I’d need him to put on weight and get really big,” Wang Yang took a sip of his coffee, picturing a muscular Daniel Wu, and said earnestly, “If he can’t bulk up or achieve the right physique, then Jayne remains white; we’ll create a new Chinese-American crew member instead.”

“Okay,” Joss Whedon nodded in agreement naturally. Wang Yang glanced at the two Chinese characters “Serenity” written in the script and said, “I want this movie to have a very aesthetic and meaningful look, a blend of the Western and the Oriental classic.”

When he heard the aesthetic part, Joss Whedon got excited and said, “Oh, yes! I often dream of a herd of horses running across a field, and then a spaceship zooms by overhead.”

Wang Yang nodded with a smile; it was a typical Western-style shot, reminiscent of ‘Dances with Wolves.’ He pondered and said, “Joss, I want more than just the Western vibe. Imagine those Chinese rivers, with distant mountains on both sides, the wide expanse of the river under the sunset hanging in the sky, coloring the entire view a light reddish-yellow. Serenity flies over the river—that’s called ‘Fishermen’s Evening Song.'”

“Oh, I know!” Joss Whedon’s eyes lit up instantly, touching his forehead. He had seen photographs like that, and he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Absolutely beautiful.”

“Or imagine this—a boundless range of mountains with green peaks towering one after another, shrouded in mist, and then Serenity weaves through the fog. This is called ‘Mountains in Sea of Mist.'” Wang Yang shrugged with a smile. Avatar had used such imagery, incorporating many elements of Eastern aesthetics. He thought aloud, “That’s what I’m considering, how to combine the two. Not too much is needed, even just one or two scenes that combine naturally and perfectly are enough.”

Joss Whedon was a bit lost in the imagery of a sea of misty mountains, a scene full of mysterious, alien world vibes compared to the vast desolation of the Western style. He frowned and laughed, saying, “I can’t imagine how to do this, someone needs to tell me.”

“Alright, I’ll try hard to think of something,” Wang Yang said with a light laugh. This was one of his goals, which would directly affect the success of the film. A poor combination would make it look ridiculous; a perfect blend would be a beauty to behold. Thinking this, Wang Yang slapped the few pages of the film’s outline and said with a smile, “I’m waiting for your complete script, and there’s an idea I definitely want to use: the Star Alliance’s secret test site isn’t just a plunderer planet…”

“What do you mean?” Joss Whedon was taken aback, looking puzzled. Such a change would directly affect the whole world scenario and the story.

Tasting the bitter coffee, Wang Yang’s mouth curved into a self-mocking smile as he said, “The ‘Purify the Spirit’ project list contains many planets, each attempting different experimental methods. The plunderer planet is just one of them, the most failed and out of control; but perhaps, some are successful, or have flawed success.”

The two then discussed and settled on some new settings and details of the world. Joss Whedon promised that after wrapping up ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ he would deliver the integrated film script to Wang Yang for him to make revisions and additions, especially the part about Chinese culture. After finishing this pleasant meeting, Wang Yang immediately took the TV series script back to the hotel to be by Jessica’s side.

“Yang, after thinking it over just now, I realized I don’t like you anymore.” Jessica said calmly from the couch, her voice cold, “Let’s break up. I feel very upset now when I see you. What’s the point of staying together if you tell me that?”

“What…?” Wang Yang looked at her, puzzled, asking, “Didn’t we resolve everything? You know I didn’t mean any harm, and it all turned out pretty well, right?” Jessica’s face was full of anger and resentment, her voice rising louder as she yelled, “It’s not okay at all! You played with me like a toy, treated me like a lab rat for your experiments, you valued the movie more than me. I trusted you so much, yet you hurt me!”

Wang Yang only felt his heart trembling with pain, and said angrily, “What’s wrong with you? It’s not like I think the movie is more important than you—I want to help you! I don’t know your real thoughts; you never told me! I just want to help you! I know it hurts, please, Jessica! Why won’t you forgive me?” Jessica chuckled coldly without showing any friendliness, her eyes red as if ready to kill, “Get lost! FUCK-YOU! I will never forgive you, FUCK-YOU!!”

“You bastard, go to hell!” She suddenly lunged at him, her mouth wide open, biting towards his face.

“Oh my God!” Wang Yang suddenly opened his eyes to the ceiling of the hotel room, his forehead and back drenched in cold sweat, panting heavily, “huff huff huff…” He looked to the left of the pillow and saw Jessica, still sound asleep beside him, her right hand holding onto his left arm, her eyebrows slightly knitted as if she too was having a nightmare.

Having had such a nightmare, Wang Yang was already wide awake, silently watching her face in the dim light—so adorable, beautiful, and familiar… He smiled faintly; she really looked beautiful when she smiled; when she cried… Wang Yang let out a soft sigh, lost in thought as he looked at her.

Is it right or wrong to do this? If it’s right, why is it right; if it’s wrong, why is it wrong?

Regardless of whether he knew her aspirations, his intention was genuinely to make her happy, to help her achieve her pursuits. Even if she treated him with anger, he still believed she wouldn’t be upset, but could he blame her? Wang Yang shook his head slightly, caressing her palm; after all, she was angry because she deeply loved him, just like in the nightmare, hurt by the person she trusted the most—why wouldn’t she be angry?

How different was his approach from the Star Alliance or America today? The Star Alliance also aimed to create a better world, wanting to make all humanity happy, even if it meant sacrificing tens of millions; America, in the name of deposing Saddam’s government, sought safety for Americans and better days for the Iraqi people, even if it meant enduring temporary warfare and chaos; it was just like giving a shot!

But what is being injected? Is it a cure or a poison? The answer lies in the reaction of the one being injected, and the injector stands right beside them. Success, failure—things could get better or worse. What if Jessica became so heartbroken that she could no longer act? What if invaders emerge and the rebuilt Iraq plunges into even greater chaos…

What right does he have, in what capacity, to decide for her? With what right does the Star Alliance decide for humanity? With what authority does America decide for Iraqis? To administer that shot, allowing her, humanity, the Iraqis, to experience such pain—through the role of a boyfriend, a boss, a director? He chose the role of a boyfriend, but…

Because he loves her, does that grant him the right to hurt her? To inspire her to reach a new level? Is it his will or her will, and can he simply impose his own ideas on others, even if he thinks it’s correct and will bring happiness?

If he knew it would truly bring happiness, why not endure the pain, and be forgiving and understanding to each other… No, the Star Alliance, in the name of liberty, leads the New Solar System, experimenting with the pursuit of a wonderful new world. Is choosing for others freedom?

If there’s a well with a group of frogs living in poverty but believing it to be beautiful inside, and a frog above wanting to pull them out, thinking that bringing them up is bringing them to a wonderful new world. Yet, the process might cause some to fall and die. Would the frogs at the bottom choose to go up? Can the frogs above “give freedom and beauty” by forcibly pulling them up while they themselves can, too, be dragged down to their deaths, causing both sides’ families to weep in sorrow?

What is freedom… Deciding for others? An injection, pain? A good outcome?…

“Firefly…” Wang Yang murmured, amused, but his mind was filling with more questions. There was another issue he had pondered for a long time: the dichotomy of human nature, good and evil. Now, if it were possible to completely remove the evil part, would it be worth keeping? Does the “evil” side really have no place in society, and would its removal result in a beautiful new world?

Before he could ponder any further, Jessica beside him suddenly furrowed her brows, showing pain on her face, and mumbled softly in her dream, “Yang, Yang… don’t… I hate you… love you…”

“I love you,” Wang Yang whispered softly, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

Jessica’s eyelids jerked suddenly, and with an “ah,” she woke up, her face a picture of bewildered panic; Wang Yang knew she had a nightmare and couldn’t help but wrap his arms around her, “Baby, it’s alright, it’s just a dream.” Jessica, gasping for breath, looked at him, and her lips suddenly began to quiver uncontrollably, her eyes filled with sadness, she sobbed, “Yang, I had a nightmare. We were arguing fiercely, and you said you definitely wanted to break up…”

“It’s okay, that’s not real…” Wang Yang held her tightly, and Jessica also wrapped her arms around him. Both looked into each other’s eyes, each with a trace of bewildered fear, unable to speak. What in the world was happening?!

The bedroom was silent for a long time, their eyes locked with tender affection, but an invisible wall seemed to stand between them, making both anxious and afraid. Neither wanted that wall to exist; they wanted to be as happy as they were before, even happier…

“Jessica.” Wang Yang called out softly, took a deep breath and then exhaled, revealing his thoughts, “I’m not Superman; I’m just a kid. I don’t understand much. I misunderstood your thoughts, Jessica. Sometimes I’m very stubborn, and once I believe something should be a certain way, I’ll go all out to do it, even if it might cause harm… I’m such a jerk for doing so, but I didn’t know…”

His face was full of confusion as he said, “I hurt you; that’s just idiotic. I was wrong, but I really love you! I really want to see you happy and smiling…” He sniffed, with a heavy breath, “But these days, whenever we shoot the scenes you struggle with, you get very upset. You try hard but… I know where the problem lies. I want to help you. I feel like I can control the situation; it’s no big deal. I thought once you believed me, I’d tell you and then everything would be fine, but I was wrong, I was arrogant…”

“I just dreamed you said ‘I will never forgive you,’ and I really, really wanted to cry…”

“Yang!” Jessica couldn’t help but shout out, seeing his choked up appearance; her heart ached, but it was filled with a feeling of happiness—what a fool… The bewilderment in her eyes gradually replaced by certainty, she too expressed her feelings, “Yang, you’ve always been protective of me, I know that… I’m the one who’s capricious, all day I put pressure on you, wanting to make movies together, saying those words, about other girls… I’m very selfish. I just… I just like being pampered.”

Her eyes flashed with a touch of shyness as she gazed into his eyes, full of tender affection and frankness, “I always wanted to be that cool girl, but when I’m with you, I want to be pampered. I want you to love me, to coax me, to hold me… I’m just a kid, I rarely tell you what I really want, causing misunderstandings, because I want romance, I want you to surprise me… It’s my first relationship, I only learned about it from magazines, I don’t know… I don’t know how it’s supposed to be…”

Hearing these words, Wang Yang couldn’t help but kiss her, saying, “I like your pampering. You’re like this, and that’s why I love you. Jessie, you’ve done great, always the best girlfriend.” He shook his head slightly, “I’m not the best boyfriend. I should be more attentive to you. I should have thought more when I was being self-righteous, but I was wrong. It was only yesterday that I truly understood you…”

“Yang, isn’t that what love is all about? The sweetness and the fights, two people getting to know each other, growing together. That’s what the magazines say.” Jessica offered a smile, saw him smiling back, and continued, “Yang, I know you also suffered yesterday. But you were not wrong; I think there’s no right or wrong, just… I believe…” she looked at his face, smiling, “Love! It’s just love.”

Wang Yang suddenly felt a warmth and sweetness in his heart, a joy from being forgiven by her, and he smiled, “Really?”

“Whether or not it has any effect on acting, Yang, I will never hate you! I’m not that terrible, and our relationship isn’t that fragile.” Jessica grew more serene as she spoke, her tumultuous emotions slowly clarifying. She also understood why he had thought it was “no big deal,” would he hate her if she did the same thing? No, she belonged to him, and he belonged to her.

Looking into those black eyes, she said, laughing, “Yang, you just think too highly of me, but I’m not that good. I do get angry…” Wang Yang said, “I understand. It would be strange if you weren’t angry. I just imagined you beating me up, and then everything would be fine.”

“I did think of that! But I was too tired from crying.” Jessica stuck out her tongue, Wang Yang laughed and stroked her hair. Jessica pursed her lips briefly, her gaze intensely serious, and she said, “Please don’t mind those angry words, okay? I said them out of control. If anyone else spoke to you like that, I’d definitely beat them to a pulp…”

Wang Yang interrupted her, “It’s fine. I don’t care about those angry words at all. You’re the one person who can say anything to me. But don’t you take my angry words to heart either! You are a very good woman, understanding, beautiful, and adorable…” Looking at her smiling face, he added, “My favorite kind of woman.”

“Yang, I was really disappointed and sad then…” Jessica sighed with a smile, opening up, “Our relationship was so good, we were going to get married, I’d be a good wife, and we’d have babies… You said things were going to change, and I thought you were breaking up with me as a trick, and then I went crazy.”

Wang Yang gently stroked her somewhat melancholic face and said, “I know you’re disappointed. I really messed up here. I didn’t truly understand your will, your thoughts before I chose to ‘help’ you, and as a result, I destroyed something that was even more important to you than acting. Jessica, it was me who didn’t cherish it, it was me who ruined our relationship…”

“No, it hasn’t been destroyed!” Jessica’s eyes blazed with passion as she pressed herself vigorously into his embrace, her chest tight against his, and in that moment, they could both feel each other’s heartbeat, thump thump…

Their eyes locked, and the windows to their souls connected. Jessica smiled and said, “Can you feel it? It hasn’t been destroyed in my heart; it’s still intact!” Wang Yang nodded and smiled back, “The same for me, it’s still intact!” Jessica fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, “But you can’t do this anymore, okay? Don’t ever do this again, no matter what.”

Her face was full of tenderness; she too reached out to caress his cheek and said, “Yang, I love you. I don’t want to give myself to you only on set, you know? I want to give myself to you one hundred percent in life, in dreams, at all times. I want to trust you wholeheartedly, lean on you, love you… Promise me!”

“Jessie, I promise you, I won’t do it again,” Wang Yang’s voice was gentle yet resolute. To be loved by a girl like this, something that only happens with a first love, how could he not cherish it instead of destroying such a beautiful thing? That would be his greatest regret.

“Mm! Because these are the things I care about.” Jessica said sweetly as she smiled. Wang Yang touched her forehead with his and smiled back, “These are the things I care about too.” Jessica felt her pulsating heart rediscover that happiness and, suddenly recalling something, her eyes widened in surprise, “Oh my God! Yang, I’m so happy right now, can I still perform as Andrea?”

Wang Yang was momentarily stunned, then a bit puzzled himself and said, “You should be fine, right? Your main issue is getting into character.” Jessica’s mood eased, and she found the situation quite amusing. She punched his shoulder playfully and coquettishly said, “What if I can’t perform? Does that mean we have to break up again? Heaven forbid!” She laughed merrily, “Baby, how did you come up with such a tormenting idea? On April Fool’s Day this year, I should have pranked you like this!”

“Next year, you can take your revenge on me, but I’ll know it’s coming,” Wang Yang said, laughing. Jessica rolled her eyes, murmuring, “I need to think of a way… Oh well, I’ll let you off this time!” As she thought about it, the desire for revenge faded, but her interest suddenly sparked, “Yang, how about we chat all night?”

Wang Yang stroked her hair and smiled, “Sure, I can’t sleep now anyway, and we’ve had enough sleep last night, so what shall we talk about?” Jessica, brimming with enthusiasm, smiled and said, “Hmm, let’s start with our childhood and talk all the way up to now! Do you remember the first time we met?”

Wang Yang tried hard to recall, the memory somewhat vague, and said, “I remember you walked in, then you were all shy, and those people were laughing…”

…

“Then you just kicked out, haha! He was so scared, that was so cool!”

“I don’t quite remember that. Let me tell you one, and see if you recall? That day in science class…”

The sky over New York City gradually brightened from pitch black, while the bedroom still echoed with bursts of gentle, cheerful chatter.

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PS: After editing, 12,000 words.