Chapter Sixty: Inspiration

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Entertainment Around Me (No Pop-up Ads)
Story timeline: June 2005 — November 2005
Recommended song: Jolin Tsai & David Tao — “Today You’re Getting Married”
Statement: This work is purely fiction; please do not associate it with real people or events. Any resemblance is purely coincidental!

Li Ran didn’t say a word about what happened that day, nor did he want to. Meanwhile, Jiang Yihan was still toiling away on set, but as he gradually found his rhythm, his collaboration with Kim Jaejung became increasingly harmonious, while Jin Xiaoxi and Han Jihye naturally blended in with the rest of the crew. The whole team felt more like a big family—laughter and an easy atmosphere filled each day.

Because the film hadn’t been announced or promoted, there was no rush to meet any release schedule, so they weren’t pressed for time. Though they only got three hours of sleep a night, overall it wasn’t too grueling, since any stolen moments for rest were always Jiang Yihan’s sleeping hours anyway.

But today felt very different. Both Jiang Yihan and Kim Jaejung were nervous.

Today’s filming involved a confession scene, as well as the pivotal kiss of the entire film—a kiss, and a kiss between two men at that. The prospect left both of them with sweaty palms.

As the crew set up the cameras and adjusted the lighting, Jiang Yihan and Kim Jaejung sat off to the side, scripts open but unable to focus. Finally, Jiang Yihan turned to something familiar: he pulled out his guitar and continued working on a song he’d started composing a few days before.

That song had been inspired by the unexpected night with Lee Hyori. Jiang Yihan himself wasn’t sure exactly what he’d been thinking; the song was already 95% complete and had come together in a single burst of inspiration. After finishing it, Jiang Yihan could hardly believe it himself. Was it the kiss that night, the atmosphere, or simply the feeling of that moment that had moved him to write this song? Even he couldn’t say. Now, only a few lines of lyrics remained to be polished before it was done.

He tuned his guitar and began to strum the strings.

The door opens slowly, you come in. The moment I see you, I know you belong to me. You walk toward me, your lowered face so beautiful it shines.
What is this? Why does it feel so familiar? My heart races—
You’ve already taken up residence in my heart.
I want to speak carefully, gather my courage, ask from today,
Can I love you?
This feeling is so obvious, a first in my life.
I don’t want to miss it—perhaps love insists on coming.
I want to give you the best of me.

What is this? Why does it feel so familiar? My heart races—
You’ve already taken up residence in my heart.
After many partings and much tears,
Maybe it was endurance that brought me to you—
You, the one I regret meeting so late, now sitting before me.
Can I love you?
With all my heart, give you the best of me, always.
Can I love you?

Jiang Yihan’s clear and gentle voice rang out, and the previously bustling set fell silent. Everyone put down what they were doing and listened quietly, drawn in by his pure vocals and the soft, tender music. Jiang Yihan seemed oblivious to the attention, lost in tuning and making adjustments, completely focused. Such earnest concentration gave him an irresistible charm—he was the kind of man one couldn’t help but notice.

“Ahem…” After a long while, Park Youngho’s cough brought everyone back to their senses, and they resumed their work, a bit embarrassed.

Hearing the sound, Jiang Yihan looked up and saw it was Park Youngho. He immediately smiled. “Hello, Uncle Park.”

“Yihan, what was that song you just sang?” Park Youngho sat down between Jiang Yihan and Kim Jaejung.

“That one? I wrote it a few days ago. It’s called ‘Can I Love You?’” Jiang Yihan handed his notebook of songs to Park Youngho.

Park Youngho smiled as he took it, flipping through as he asked, “Jaejung, what do you think of that song?”

“It felt warm and comforting. Perfect for a confession. Hehe.” Kim Jaejung was still lost in the lingering melody. Jiang Yihan’s voice had a soothing power, and the song’s tune was so gentle it made one’s heart feel as if it were soaking in warm water.

“I think so too,” Park Youngho said, handing the notebook back. “Yihan, tell us—how did you feel writing that song?”

Faced with the question, Jiang Yihan blushed a little and muttered before answering, “It’s about a confession—liking someone for a long time but never daring to speak up, finally finding the courage to ask, ‘Can I love you?’ I think that question just sounds so warm, with a gentle smile—like a first love.”

“Exactly, that’s what I want.” Park Youngho slapped his thigh. “We’ve been saying the script lacks detail, right? For today’s confession scene, I want to revise it and add your song.”

“Huh? How would that work?” Jiang Yihan and Kim Jaejung both leaned in, fully engaged in the discussion.

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“I’m thinking of having Han and Jaejung meet here for a date, then Han sings this song and confesses,” Park Youngho offered his rough idea.

“No, that won’t work. It’s too abrupt, just suddenly singing,” Kim Jaejung objected.

“Yeah, it feels too sudden,” Jiang Yihan agreed. Still, he thought it was a good idea, so his mind whirled. After a moment, he spoke up, “Uncle Park, what if they’re sitting on a bench, looking at the scenery outside, then Han strums his guitar and sings the song. After the song ends, they lock eyes, confess, and the confession succeeds.”

“I think watching the sunset would feel more poignant, and it’d be best without dialogue—it would spoil the beauty,” Kim Jaejung added.

“Guitar, sunset…” Park Youngho chewed his fingernail. “No, I want the sunrise—more meaningful. As for dialogue, you two do a rehearsal and I’ll see what feels right.”

All scenes needed to be rehearsed several times before the official shoot so the director could get a sense of things and the actors could adjust their blocking and performances. This saved film and helped everyone get into character.

Jiang Yihan and Kim Jaejung immediately sat down on the bench.

They sat together, gazing at each other in silence, and then broke into slightly embarrassed smiles.

Han said, “Jae, I have a song I want to sing for you.”

Jae raised his eyebrows. “Really? Play it for me.” His eyes held a trace of anticipation.

Han gently plucked the guitar strings and began to sing. When he reached the final line, “With all my heart, give you the best of me, always—can I love you?” he finished, set the guitar aside, and lowered his head in silence. Jae stared at Han, as if searching his face for something. Han slowly raised his head, leaned over, and gently rested his forehead against Jae’s. Han closed his eyes. Their lips met, and after a moment, they parted, exchanged a smile, and turned back to the sunset. Han’s hand slipped onto the bench, Jae’s hand gently covered it, then gradually tightened, holding Han’s hand firmly.

“Perfect, perfect, that’s exactly what I wanted.” After five takes, Jiang Yihan and Kim Jaejung finally captured the feeling Park Youngho was after.

Jiang Yihan and Kim Jaejung glanced at each other, a little embarrassed, then burst out laughing and gave each other a hug.

“Yihan, Jaejung,” Park Youngho came over again, “This is the best way to shoot it. But since we’re doing it this way, we’ll have to reshoot some earlier scenes and tweak some details. Also, I want to change the ending a bit.”

“Oh? How so?” The two young men launched into an enthusiastic discussion with the director.

“First, the way you meet needs to change. Yihan, besides guitar, you play piano too, right? I want to incorporate music throughout the film, using your songs to warm the tone and make the transitions smoother. For example, your first meeting is accompanied by music, and when you meet again, music weaves through the scene.”

The director’s ideas became more and more lively as he spoke, “Then your acquaintance, falling in love, and the ending—each is connected by Yihan’s music. Adding this detail, what do you think?”

“Music?” Jiang Yihan and Kim Jaejung considered it.

Kim Jaejung said, “But won’t the audience feel there’s too much music, making it feel more like a musical?”

“No, actually, though it’s woven through, I’ll only use it in a few key scenes,” Park Youngho explained. “The idea is to let music naturally drive the story forward. Like just now—adding music to the confession made it feel far more natural, warm, and touching.”

“I think it’s workable. That means the choice of music will be very important,” Jiang Yihan nodded.

“My hope is that Yihan writes the songs himself. That way, good or bad, they’ll fit the film. I also want to change one more thing,” Park Youngho was now almost spitting with excitement, “Let’s give Yihan’s character the trait of composing music—he’ll often share songs with Jaejung, and whenever something happens between you, Yihan uses a song to express himself. The music can also serve as background to enhance the mood.”

“But won’t that overshadow the main story?” Jiang Yihan was still worried.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep things balanced. How do you feel about this arrangement?” Park Youngho grinned.

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“No problem,” Jiang Yihan and Kim Jaejung replied in unison. Indeed, adding music would make the film feel much smoother, and certain details could be filled in. So, overall, making the character a songwriter was a reasonable choice.

The only trouble was for Jiang Yihan.

He already had barely a few hours of sleep each day, and now he was tasked with composing several songs. Park Youngho rewrote many major scenes and revised the script, the most important part being to reshoot some earlier scenes and hand over the new tasks to Jiang Yihan. This left both Kim Jaejung and Jiang Yihan nearly cross-eyed with exhaustion.

Fortunately, since Jiang Yihan was just starting out and hadn’t much experience composing, he didn’t really face any creative bottleneck; the only issue was whether his songs fit the mood of the scenes. The hardest part was having to reshoot earlier scenes—the emotions and relationships at the beginning did not match where they were now, so acting those out felt awkward. But it was only natural.

Filming continued as planned, but ever since drinking with Lee Hyori the other night, Jiang Yihan felt strange every time he called her. Still, Lee Hyori’s easygoing nature made things much less awkward for him.

Looking at the just-ended call from Lee Hyori, Jiang Yihan’s mind drifted back to that night, his cheeks growing warm. As he was lost in thought, the phone rang again.

It was Li Yimei.

“Hello, Yimei, what’s up?” Jiang Yihan calmed himself before answering.

Lately, Jiang Yihan had been so busy filming he’d had almost no time to rest, so he and Li Yimei had seen even less of each other. Li Yimei had visited the set a few times, and though Jiang Yihan never made anything official, the crew was already speculating about their relationship. The recent business with Lee Hyori had left Jiang Yihan’s mind in a mess, so he hadn’t been in touch with Li Yimei much. He hadn’t expected her to call him today.

Seeing Li Yimei’s number flashing on his screen, Jiang Yihan’s restlessness suddenly vanished, replaced by a sense of peace.

“Yihan, do you have time now?” Li Yimei sounded hesitant.

“Huh? What’s up? I just got back from set,” Jiang Yihan said, preparing to get out of the car.

“It’s nothing, I just wanted to see if you could go out on a date with me,” Li Yimei boldly suggested the word “date,” which made Jiang Yihan a little embarrassed.

“Uh… May I ask when and where?” Jiang Yihan didn’t know how to respond, so he asked for details.

“Hehe, it’s nothing, I was just testing you—don’t get nervous.” Li Yimei’s laughter rang out on the other end, and Jiang Yihan breathed a sigh of relief. “I know you barely have time to rest lately—how could I take up your break time, hehe.”

They chatted for a while longer before hanging up.

Suddenly, the long-absent Yun’er ran over and hopped into Jiang Yihan’s car. He stared in surprise at the breathless Yun’er. “Yun’er, what are you doing here?”

“Yihan, hurry, go to the hospital,” Yun’er said, gasping for breath.

“Hospital?” Jiang Yihan was full of questions.

“Yimei is at the hospital right now.”