Our Tender Harmony

Some say being stuck in a room full of actors is an experience to forget. They say that when everyone believes they’re the main characters, egos start to spark like fireworks.

And maybe I’m the one who ends up blowing it all up.

Feng Wei brushed his hair back with a complex look in his eye. He stood in front of the building they had rented out for the duration of the show ready to greet the actors as they arrived. He held three separate clipboards, prepared to sort people into different groups.

Instead of buses arriving though, shuttling groups of actors at once, Feng Wei grimaced as he found a fleet of sports cars swarming the curbside.

What happened to being low-key? What happened to being environmentally friendly? What happened to being collaborative on this project? Or are all of you too busy fighting to even get onto a bus together?

Shutters. Clicks. Flashes.

With more than twenty sports cars—and some supercars—parked along the curb bright and early in the morning, the paparazzi had come. Swarming in like sharks, they mobbed the actors and crew on their way to the main entrance.

“Chu Changfeng! What are your thoughts on the recent labor laws being passed? It’s already rare to have a personal assistant, do you think this law will limit their ability to be hired even more?”

“What inspired you to take on a project with Chu Changfeng, Li Feiling? Would you say there is an especially close relationship between you two?”

“Ma Xiaotian, you’ve been praised as the Movie Prince and as Chu Changfeng’s protégé; what are your goals for this production?”

“Wang Tianmin, you were a last-minute addition to this cast. What are your thoughts on your role? Do you know what you’re acting for yet?”

Most actors refused all the questions. The morning had just begun, and after yesterday’s cast social, most weren’t in the mood to entertain the fluff the reporters threw at them. As they walked over, Feng Wei stopped them one by one, greeting them before sending them to the right floor.

They’d renovated the top two floors to represent the company being run by Jiang Jinlong—Chu Chengfeng’s character—and the next two floors for Zeng Xiaojing—Li Feiling’s character. The rest of the floors had been converted into miscellaneous set pieces. Some, for other companies in the show, and some for scenes in other locations.

For a moment, Feng Wei couldn’t help but feel his inner child jump for joy. He had a front row seat to see lines of A-list actors walk by him into the building. Everyone, too, for the first day of filming had dressed up, as if anticipating the paparazzi.

Sunglasses, masks, the chic incognito look.

Trench coats, suits, the statement pieces worthy of a magazine’s front cover.

Have to focus though.

Feng Wei looked up, nodding as another actress walked up to him. Her heels clicked against the pavement. “Good morning, Xia Ruyun, you’re going to be heading up to the top floor today, our first few shots are going to be with you in Jiang Jinlong’s company.”

“Thank you.” She cracked a faint smile before walking off, her trench coat billowing as she opened the door and walked into the building.

Click. Click. Click.

A lot of photos for her.

She looks like she’s at a healthier weight, that’s good. Shouldn’t need too much makeup to hide her cheekbones.

---

About thirty minutes later, Feng Wei had checked off most of the actors’ names. With the call time in ten minutes though, he decided to leave his clipboards with an assistant before heading back upstairs.

“So, everyone does their makeup on their respective floor. I don’t think we need to be shooting two scenes at once though given the time...” Feng Wei counted out on his fingers. He muttered like a madman as he slipped into an elevator with a couple of the newcomers.

Liu Fangjie was one such newcomer. Seeing her director, usually so composed and confident, muttering like he had forgotten to take his medication, she took a half-step back. She checked her appearance in the mirror, fixing her bangs.

Ding.

The elevator’s doors slid open.

“Why don’t we get a meal together?” Chu Changfeng leaned against the doorframe of the changing room with a candid smile. A second later, an expressionless Xia Ruyun appeared. One polite “No thank you” was all Chu Changfeng got as she walked towards the makeup area. Undeterred, Chu Changfeng sauntered alongside her, taking a seat in the makeup chair beside Xia Ruyun. As stylists fussed over them both, he kept quiet, yet his eyes tracked Xia Ruyun like a stalking predator.

Seeing the scene, Feng Wei just rolled his eyes as he walked into the main area. He waved over his assistants as a single thought ran through his head.

Does this weird clingy greasy style really work?

How does he have so many women swarming over him?

Isn’t it just... a little pathetic? It certainly seems more romantic and cooler with a face like his but... still.

Liu Fangjie, meanwhile, stood frozen in the doorway of the elevator. Her mouth hung open as she watched the scene unfold. “Ah... Ah! W... What?”

Ding!

The elevator hit her arm as it tried to close.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Liu Fangjie apologized to the elevator before stepping forward. She grabbed her costume from the table and walked towards the changing rooms. As she did, she caught up to a staff member walking in the same direction. In a hushed whisper, she asked about the cold war unfolding in the makeup area. “What’s going on?”

“Chu Changfeng being his usual,” The tired staff member answered between sips of his coffee. “He tries to make a connection with everyone, even if they play hard to get.”

“Just a connection huh...” Liu Fangjie’s steps slowed as she looked towards the two one more time. Something in her gut told her otherwise, but she pushed it away before heading into the changing room.

---

“Alright, we’re beginning the first shot, this is at the peak of Jiang Jinlong’s company, are you all ready? Where’s Xia Ruyun? She’s playing Du Ruolin!”

Xia Ruyun stepped up, following Feng Wei’s directions to sit beside Chu Changfeng who had taken his position at the head of the table.

“Ready? Action!”

---

A man in a suit stood at the front of a room, near the end of his slideshow: the Chief Financial Officer, Sun Minghao. He clicked forward in his slideshow, and a sheet of graphs appeared on the screen. “To sum up, I’m happy to report that our Q4 revenue is the highest it’s ever been. We’ve pulled more profit this quarter than Q1 and Q2 combined. We’re on a steady path to continue growing the company, and all our subsidiary companies are performing better than expected. All metrics are in the green. We saw a 25% increase in our customer base in this quarter alone!”

The room burst into applause. The CFO bowed a couple times before returning to his seat. Once the applause died down, Jiang Jinlong cleared his throat. “Thank you so much, it’s been a great year for the company, and I’m really looking forward to this next year with you all.”

He extended his hand to the left, and Du Ruolin put a piece of paper into his hand. “In anticipation of this productive quarter, I want to announce that everyone on the executive board is getting a 100% bonus this quarter. Because today is also the last day before the winter holiday, I’ve also ordered some food that should’ve been set up while we were in this meeting. Come on, let’s go!”

Another round of applause filled the room. Everyone got out of their seats as Jiang Jinlong held open the door. A glimmer shone in his eyes. “I’ve ordered wine as well! Take as much as you want, enjoy it. This is our last workday before the winter holiday!”

With his announcement all the executives hustled out of the meeting room. A table laden with food sat steaming. Ceramic plates. Silver forks. Silver spoons. Everything seemed to shine under the fluorescent lights.

Jiang Jinlong, the last to leave, patted Du Ruolin on the shoulder. “Thank you so much for your help this year. Don’t worry, you’re getting a bonus as well.”

“Thank you, boss,” Du Ruolin bowed her head. “I’m going to put these documents back into your office, but I’ll join back as soon as I can.”

“Of course! Take your time! I don’t mind if you do a little cleaning while you’re in there!” Jiang Jinlong joked as he turned back towards the food. “Alright...”