The next day, Ji Nian woke up full of confidence and went to the film set. However, she felt a bit bewildered seeing the crew members and young actors occasionally staring at her.
"Ji Nian, hello, I... I am your fan... My name is Xiao Ye..." a chubby girl walked over and said nervously.
Ji Nian was stunned for a moment. Wasn't this girl just an extra in the crew? Yet she was her fan? Her eyes lit up and she smiled, "Hello, Xiao Ye."
Hearing the reply, Xiao Ye looked surprised first, then delighted, exclaiming, "Ji Nian, I really like you. I love listening to your songs. You've been in the crew for so long, but I didn't dare talk to you."
Seeing her excited look, Ji Nian's eyes smiled as she said, "What's there to be afraid of? Afraid I'll eat you?"
"No, no," Xiao Ye shook her head, "It's just that you seem unapproachable. I didn't mean anything bad. I... I just..."
Xiao Ye became more and more flustered, feeling anxious. She hadn't expected the actress to be so approachable since everyone thought she looked aloof before and didn't dare approach her.
"It's okay, I understand what you mean," Ji Nian smiled and winked, "Actually, I'm quite approachable."
Xiao Ye blushed and exclaimed excitedly, "Ji Nian, there are actually many of your fans here. They all are." She then pointed to a group of people watching from a distance.
Ji Nian looked over and saw several girls dressed in ancient costumes waving at her. She smiled and nodded in response.
Seeing their idol respond, they excitedly called out and all gathered around her.
Looking at the five or six people in front of her, Ji Nian was truly dumbfounded. Previously on the set, apart from filming, she had only stuck with He Yishen and Shen Shuyao.
She rarely talked to the crew, let alone chat with supporting actors. She hadn't expected to have fans on the set too. It felt quite strange.
"Ji Nian, we just came to the set a few days ago. Can we take a group photo with you?" a girl asked excitedly.
"Me too, me too," several people chimed in.
Ji Nian blinked her innocent big eyes and said, "Don't rush, I'm right here. One by one."
They came over with their phones to take pictures together. These little fans were quite cute. Ji Nian patiently took selfies with all of them.
"Ji Nian, 'Angel's Wings' is so beautiful. I listened to it all night yesterday," Xiao Ye admired.
"That person replied to you. I was so touched. Was that song made especially for him?" another girl asked excitedly.
"Ji Nian, it was because of the Weibo post you made yesterday that I liked you. Is it too late to be your fan now?" another little fan asked nervously.
"Thank you," Ji Nian replied. It was the first time she encountered such enthusiasm. Even with just five or six people, she felt overwhelmed by their passion.
"Ahem," the director came over and coughed lightly. Everyone immediately fell silent, like mice facing a cat. They said goodbye shyly and dispersed.
Ji Nian smiled at them as they left.
"'Angel's Wings' is a nice song," the director nodded and smiled.
Ji Nian looked surprised and asked, "Director, you read Weibo too?"
"Of course, we're all in the same circle," the director smiled. "Alright, hurry up and get ready. Shen Shuyao should be done with makeup soon. It's your confrontation scene next."
"Okay!" Ji Nian happily grabbed the script and ran to her usual spot.
Suddenly recalling what the little fan had said earlier, she took out her phone and checked the content on her Weibo.
"Wow..." Ji Nian's eyes widened as she scrolled through the comments under her Weibo post. The likes had soared to one million, with over a hundred thousand fan comments.
"This song is amazing!"
"No need to guess, it's obviously written by Mysterious."
"This post just came out two days ago, and Mysterious has already given Ji Nian a new song. So cool."
"What a heavenly girl, she even writes songs for fans. Wuwuwu, that's so great."
"To clarify, the song was written by Mysterious..."
"I will find an angel to love you for me."
"So touching, wuwuwu."
"Even if I'm not by your side, I'll be like an invisible angel, always with you, protecting you, loving you forever."
"Listening to this song reminds me of my late family members. Maybe they're silently protecting me too."
"Heartbroken for the families."
"From today on, I'm a fan of Ji Nian."
"You're still here, never leaving... Listened all night, feeling deeply touched."
Ji Nian read the comments and was surprised to see no negative ones. Strange, where were those fierce anti-fans?
But it was good to have no haters for once. Ji Nian smiled and opened the Weibo post of the original poster from yesterday. She saw that he had @-ed her account and posted another reply.
"Hello everyone, I'm the OP of this post. First, thank you all for your concern and encouragement. Listening to this song all night, I cried all night.
I'm surprised that this incident even prompted Ji Nian herself to respond. I think if she were still alive, she would be very happy.
I will try to move on. We had been together for many years, living every aspect of life side by side. But suddenly one day she left, leaving an empty hole in my heart, as if a part of it was carved out.
Thank you for the song 'Angel's Wings'. I'm touched. Also, thank you Ji Nian for the encouragement. I will live well. You should too. Let's keep going."
After reading it, Ji Nian felt that this man might need a long time to let go.
But once he decides to start over, that will be a new beginning. She silently gave his post a like and left a comment.
(For the days you can't get through, keep yourself busy. For the days you miss someone, look at the morning sun. All that has passed is but a prelude, and all that is to come holds promise. Keep going.)
"Ji Nian, get ready to start," the director called out to her while discussing the scene with the lead actors.
Hearing the director call her, Ji Nian quickly put down her phone and hurried over in small steps.
Cheng Liran looked at the approaching woman, a hint of complexity flashing in his eyes. Recalling yesterday's viral post and the new song, he suddenly felt like he didn't know her at all, or perhaps he had never really understood her.
"Ji Nian, as the vicious supporting character, you'll need to slap the female lead in the upcoming scene. It will be a real slap, so try to get it right in one take," the director said.
"A real slap!" Ji Nian looked stunned. They were really going for it in this scene? She had to slap Shen Shuyao?
Shen Shuyao noticed the woman's shocked expression and reassured her, "It's okay, Ji Nian. I'm not afraid of pain."
"No, no, wouldn't this be out of frame?" Ji Nian asked blankly.
"I've considered that, but if the camera is too far away, it won't have the desired effect. This scene needs to be shot up close, so it will be a real slap this time. You need to put some force into it," the director explained.
"Okay... I guess..." Ji Nian looked utterly bewildered.
