Winter came earlier in Qingzhou than in other places. The presence of mountains, rivers, and dense forests seemed to intensify the bone-chilling wind even further.
It had snowed heavily around midnight yesterday. As a result, everyone in the crew was bundled up in extra layers today. Everyone except the mute boy.
He wore his usual old black long overcoat, carrying bundles of wires or heavy props on his shoulder back and forth without pause. He had been working non-stop since early morning, as if the cold meant nothing to him.
After watching for a while, Duan Ye couldn't stand it anymore. He asked his assistant to buy a cup of milk tea and a breakfast set from a nearby stall before calling out,
"Lin Zhi, come here."
It had been a month since the production team arrived in Qingzhou to film the highly anticipated movie The Line. The film was adapted from a real event—the story of Lu Feng, a military officer who sacrificed his life during a covert operation to rescue a group of trafficked children. Due to its sensitive nature and national significance, the project received government backing. To ensure quality and authenticity, director Tang Mo went to great lengths, personally selecting every major role before finally bringing the crew to this small town, determined to preserve the original texture of the story.
Duan Ye was cast as Lu Feng's comrade-in-arms. He had mainly joined the project to have fun with Zhang Shangnan, who would play Lu Feng himself. As a pampered young master from a wealthy family, Duan Ye had never truly experienced hardship—at least not financial hardship. But after coming to small towns like Qingzhou and seeing boys who had barely reached adulthood working so hard every day just to earn a few yuan, he felt suffocated.
The worst part was Lin Zhi.
To help the locals, Director Tang hired many people from nearby villages. Among them was a boy named Lin Zhi, twenty years old.
If that were all, Duan Ye wouldn't have felt so heavy-hearted. What pressed hard against his chest was this—the boy was an orphan and mute.
After asking around, Duan Ye learned that Lin Zhi came from a nearby village and survived by doing various odd jobs. However, due to his disability, it was often difficult for him to find decent, well-paid work. According to others, the job with this film crew was the most respectable position Lin Zhi had managed to secure in recent times.
Duan Ye felt immense pity for him. Consciously or unconsciously, he began paying close attention to the pitiful mute boy. Unexpectedly, the boy had a shy personality and repeatedly refused his help, which left Duan Ye both frustrated and helpless.
He snapped out of his thoughts when the tall boy waved a hand in front of him.
"Why aren't you wearing more? Aren't you cold?"
Duan Ye gestured toward an empty stool, signaling him to sit down. The boy shook his head and pointed toward the distant props, indicating that he still had work to do.
Duan Ye sighed and tried to push him gently to sit. But whether it was just his imagination or not, the boy seemed to shift his body slightly away before Duan Ye's hand could touch his shoulder.
Duan Ye didn't dwell on it, attributing it to the boy's shy nature. He simply said,
"Alright, go do your work. I noticed you didn't eat breakfast, so I asked my assistant to buy an extra meal. He'll bring it to you."
The boy pressed his lips into a straight line, lowered his head, and bowed in thanks before turning away. His retreating figure looked unusually tense.
Duan Ye frowned slightly and murmured to himself,
"Did I hurt his pride? After all, he's still basically a teenager."
At that moment, a man who had just stepped out of the dressing room noticed Duan Ye's foolish expression and quietly changed direction, clearly intending to avoid him.
Duan Ye spotted him immediately, hurried over, and clung to his arm.
"Brother Nan, let's go together."
"Let go."
The man spoke coldly without even looking at him.
"Oh."
Duan Ye released him at once and silently took a step back. He had almost gotten himself into trouble again.
—
After Duan Ye's assistant delivered the milk tea and meal box, someone couldn't help teasing the silent boy.
"Xiao Lin, are you sure you don't want to take the shortcut? Teacher Duan seems to really like you."
Electrician Jian's words drew the attention of nearby workers. Seeing the restaurant name printed on the meal box, they glanced at the boy with amused expressions.
They were all rough men, working under sun and wind every day. Their skin grew darker by the day, yet this boy's skin remained pale and smooth.
He was also tall and handsome—like a runway model.
"What a pity Xiao Lin can't speak," someone sighed. "Otherwise, he could debut as a celebrity and make a bunch of little girls fall for him."
The others shared the same thought. Unfortunately, he was destined to remain a laborer like them.
The boy's ears turned red, the color deepening visibly. A shy expression appeared on his face as he lowered his head further. Seeing him blush, the others teased him a few more times before scattering back to work.
No one noticed that beneath the lowered head and reddened ears, the boy's eyes were blank—completely devoid of emotion.
Where was the shyness?
There was nothing at all.
Someone soon called him over to carry the dummies to the filming location. He quickly looked up, putting on a naïve, docile expression. Picking up the bag of food along with two dummies, he walked briskly forward.
After taking a few steps, he suddenly turned back and met someone else's gaze. He flashed a wide smile—innocent, youthful, shy to the extreme.
Zhang Shangnan lowered his head, his eyes on the script resting on his lap. A few seconds later, the corner of his lips curved slightly. He looked inexplicably pleased.
Duan Ye happened to glance over and caught the smile. Curious, he nudged him.
"Brother Nan, what are you laughing at?"
"Nothing."
"Huh?"
Duan Ye clearly didn't believe him.
Zhang Shangnan ignored him and continued reading his script.
Not far away, another crew member named Lin Tao, who had accidentally witnessed the entire exchange, rolled his eyes toward the sky.