Shizheng shivered with cold, slowly got up from the ground, and staggered towards the bathroom.

Actually, he didn't know if taking the medicine would really be effective, because the first inhibitor that Ye Jindu gave him not only had no effect, but also had the opposite effect. So he told himself to go back to the hospital for a check-up in a week, but Shi Zheng didn't go.

Regardless of the sensitivity as a public figure or the delicate relationship between him and Ye Jindu, it was not enough for Shizheng to have peace of mind going back to that hospital. In addition to that, Shizheng had no other hospitals to go to, so he took a gamble and bought almost all the brands of suppressants in the pharmacy. He planned to switch to another one if one didn't work. Fortunately, fate was on his side and he didn't suffer from medication poisoning, making headlines.

Looking back now, it's possible that the nature of that estrous period was somewhat different. Perhaps it was the combined effect of the delayed first differentiation and the process of clearing away heat that couldn't be suppressed.

I woke up at four o'clock and got ready for makeup, as we were going to start filming. The temperature in the mountain region was low, so Shi Zheng wrapped himself in a thick down jacket before heading out. When he got in the car, two assistant directors had already arrived, and they had even prepared breakfast for him.

"This is the rice wine dumpling made by the hotel in the morning. Zhen Ge, have a taste to warm up your body."

Both assistants were young and had recently graduated from university when they were chosen by Wu Fangyu to be assistants to the then Zheng. However, they were not at all hesitant or afraid of hard work. Zheng was an actress herself and had long been accustomed to a life of flipping day and night. But girls always had to put in more effort. Like Wu Fangyu, who was only in her thirties but would joke every year about asking the company for a raise or else she would quit. Although it was just a joke, Zheng knew that she was seriously considering quitting. Especially in recent years, Wu Fangyu had been increasingly hands-off with Zheng, spending more and more time on her family. Zheng did not express her opinion on Wu Fangyu's choice, pretending not to be aware. But the two of them had already tacitly understood and were silently changing their previous work mode.

Shi Zheng took medicine and was unable to consume alcohol, so he only had a little hot water. When he arrived at the set, some crew members were still having breakfast, while others were already setting up the stage and arranging the lighting.

When Shi Zheng finished dressing up, she saw Liu Xun wearing a felt hat and exuding an authoritative presence as he directed the situation.

When the makeup artist was putting on a wig for him just now, she mentioned that his dark circles were quite heavy.

Then she applied some concealer, finally making Shi Zhen's face pale before letting her out.

A gust of wind blew by, causing Shi Zheng's hair ribbon and long hair to flutter in the air. Liu Xun caught sight of him and waved at him, with one hand still holding a half-eaten rice ball. Then, he opened his mouth wide and let out a sneeze.

"Ah, what lousy weather."

The assistant quickly ran over, draped the down jacket over Shizheng's body, and thoughtfully helped him untuck his long hair.

"Let's take advantage of the fact that it's still dark and finish filming the remaining half of the 'night raid' scene."

Liu Xun put the rice ball aside and picked up the script to talk to Shi Zheng. Shi Zheng naturally cooperated, but being hung up by the pressure, it made his waist and back feel somewhat tight. This tightness made him feel nauseous, but with the dark sky and thick foundation, Shi Zheng didn't call a halt. No one in the room noticed until the scene was finished and Shi Zheng was let down that Wu Fangyu noticed the sweat on his face.

"What's the matter?"

Shi Zhen shook her head and said, "Maybe he hasn't eaten, low blood sugar perhaps."

Wu Fangyu reluctantly supported Shi Zheng as they went to a nearby sheltered area and rested beneath a windproof canopy, wearing an unpleasant expression on their face.

Then she pulled out a large piece of chocolate from her bag, broke off a piece, and Shizheng instinctively reached out to take it. However, Wu Fangyu directly told her, "Open your mouth."

Shi Zheng was like a child scolded by a teacher in kindergarten, too afraid to retort. She obediently opened her mouth and took it in.

Then, Wu Fangyu turned to the two assistants who were equally confused but nervous and said, "In the future, prepare some chocolate. If Shizheng doesn't eat, feed him chocolate."

The familiar dizziness that came with an empty stomach was something he had experienced many times before, at least during his youth. He would often have only one meal a day due to the need for rehearsals, and even then, they were tasteless meals consisting only of plain vegetables and chicken. Eventually, he lost interest in delicious dishes altogether, almost as if they were something he had always longed for but could never obtain. He became accustomed to watching from afar and, over time, no longer desired them.

It's not that I don't like it, it's just that if I can easily obtain it now, it feels like I would be letting down the past self in the practice room, who persevered and worked so hard.

Wu Fangyu even considered taking him to see a doctor at one point, but Shizheng knew that he didn't have an eating disorder. Eating no longer brought pleasure, but it had become a necessary source of sustenance to maintain vital signs. It was often overlooked as a result.

Shizheng wanted to say it wasn't necessary to make a big deal out of it, but just as she opened her mouth, her agent stuffed a piece of chocolate into it, accompanied by a warning glare.

"You are the esteemed Prince Charming, not a starving ghost. The director wants you to lose ten pounds, but if you get any skinnier, I reckon you should just go straight to starring in a horror film."

Wu Fangyu has always been known for her sharp tongue, coupled with her fame as a renowned industry agent. She is known to speak her mind in front of many people, let alone artists she has personally nurtured.

时筝本来就是个为了拍戏对自己狠得下手的人，加上一个戏疯子的导演。

Shi Zhen is someone who is ruthless towards herself when it comes to acting, especially when paired with a director who is crazy about drama.

What Wu Fangyu despised the most was this kind of practice that claimed to be "dedicating oneself to art."

"You finally managed to improve your stomach condition a bit before needing to undergo surgery, who cares about you anymore!"

Wu Fangyu said these words with the authority of an experienced mother chastising her son, leaving the two young assistants looking like they had been scolded as well.

After Wu Fangyu left, Shi Zheng turned to the two timid little assistants and comforted, "I don't like things that are too sweet, so next time prepare chocolates that are a bit bitter."

Shizheng shook the last piece of dark chocolate in her hand.

Wu Fangyu has a quick temper that comes and goes quickly. By the afternoon, she had assigned tasks to the two assistant directors under clear and sunny skies. By the time the scenes for the Zhengzhou opera had temporarily come to an end, it was already early January. The crew had to continue working and couldn't go home for the Lunar New Year. Occasionally, you could hear staff members talking on the phone or video chatting with their families during breaks. When answering the phone, they sounded joyful, but after hanging up, they would often turn around and remain silent for a while before dedicatedly immersing themselves back into work.

In this secluded place, the shizhen almost forgot about the arrival of the New Year, forgetting about the hustle and bustle of the city.

Or perhaps it was because this kind of liveliness had never belonged to him.

Actually, being a celebrity has many benefits. Because of the busy schedule, there is often no way to spend a long time with family. However, for Shi Zheng, it has become the best reason.

"——Because I've been very busy."

- So there's no way for me to enjoy a harmonious meal with my family around the dinner table on New Year's Eve, like regular people.

But only he himself knew,

"——There were simply no family members at all."

"——No one is waiting, nor is there an endless burden of worries and reluctance."

"The people who want to leave are unable to do so, while those who are able to stay, cannot."

In the latter part of January, Shizheng was released by the director from the deep mountain forests. There were some scenes that needed to be filmed in spring, but in reality, the picturesque scenery of spring could easily be simulated or filmed in low latitude places. However, Liu Xun explained, "I am not waiting for spring, but for time."

As he spoke, his eyes, adorned with fine lines, comfortably squinted. With a cigarette held in one hand, he gently patted the slender shoulders of the frail Zheng. He said, "The next time we meet, you won't be a dandy anymore, but an emperor!"

- So, during the Spring Festival, I will eat back the weight I lost.

As the car drove out of the mountain road, to my surprise, I caught sight of peach blossoms blooming on the mountainside.

"Is it the time when the peach blossoms bloom?"

"It's winter plum blossom."

The two young assistants were discussing with curiosity. Meanwhile, Wu Fangyu was exchanging voice messages with her family. The leaked voices revealed a few crisp, yet somewhat imperfect Mandarin words spoken by children, resembling the melodious song of an oriole sitting on a branch in early spring.

Shizheng listened to the sounds around her and put on her headphones, closing her eyes as she walked on the winding mountain path.