The director persisted, "It's fine, just as a warm-up. I promise to keep it strictly for private collection, absolutely no circulation."

Tang Wen stared at him steadily, and the director stared back with equal conviction.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

The two held eye contact for a full eight seconds without a word.

Tang Wen withdrew his gaze and turned to walk back. Zi Ye looked exceptionally nervous; was this Tang Wen signaling a strike? But if he didn't strike, was she supposed to rush forward and hug him?

In Zi Ye's view, Tang Wen was someone to be admired from afar, never to be touched, and moreover, he was her teacher. She was a person who deeply respected her elders and teachers; she really couldn't bring herself to do something like that to her instructor.

What should she do?

Zi Ye looked up at the sky, but no answer was written there.

Tang Wen had walked about ten paces when he turned back, his tone unwavering: "Let's begin."

Zi Ye was instantly surprised. Even Blan seemed somewhat unprepared; Tang Wen had actually agreed. Had the space station flipped upside down?

The world had gone utterly fantastical—it must have!

The director was immensely pleased with Tang Wen’s reaction and turned to the bewildered Zi Ye with forced cordiality, "Don't be nervous. It's just a warm-up. Come on, get ready to shoot!"

After calling "action," Tang Wen walked forward, seeming a bit tense, his steps half a beat too quick. After a few steps, he paused, his gaze shifting toward Zi Ye, a hint of anticipation mixed with his tension.

Zi Ye had absolutely no experience facing this kind of situation. She looked left and right; everyone around her had moved away, leaving her with no one to help. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes and rushed forward, running straight until she was in front of Tang Wen. Without a word, she threw herself into his arms.

She was so flustered that she hadn't controlled her momentum; she made Tang Wen stumble back two steps before he could steady himself. His body was warm and substantial. Her heart hammered against her ribs, her face flushed hot, and she dared not look up at him.

He held her with one arm, then helplessly extended the other to stroke her hair, the corners of his lips curving up into a beautiful shape.

"Hahaha, you actually dared to rush him!" The director burst out laughing, stepping forward. "Excellent! That's the exact feeling we wanted." To convey nervousness and expectation so perfectly in that first instant was truly impressive.

Of course, Zi Ye's run looked a little stiff. The director added, "If we reshoot the very start, it will be perfect."

Zi Ye’s face crumpled, "Can I say no?" She had managed that rush with a sliver of desperate courage, only to be mocked by him. Now, she certainly didn't have the nerve to do it a second time.

Before the director could reply, Tang Wen let go of Zi Ye and stated calmly, "That's good enough; let's move on to the promotional shoot."

Seeing that both principals were reluctant, the director didn't press the matter. He turned to Zi Ye, "Zi Ye, go to makeup and change your clothes first."

Zi Ye's mind was still lingering on the moment she embraced Tang Wen, that faint warmth.

She turned, took a deep breath, and followed the makeup artist.

The director remained where he was, taking in Tang Wen’s attire. He seemed to have deliberately worn clothing suited for the shoot, making him look exceptionally fitting. A light-colored shirt paired with a hand-tailored, pure silk casual suit made from fine wool-touch fabric, subtly detailed accents—it respected tradition while embracing change, appearing neither overly formal nor too casual.

The director nodded in satisfaction. "You don't need to change your clothes; your face looks good, just needs a little touch-up."

Tang Wen inclined his head slightly.

Everything was arranged: props set, staff in position.

The formal shoot was about to commence.

The location was inside Ling Si Space Station Number Eight. The Ling Si faculty had canceled all entry requests in advance, leaving the area notably empty of outsiders.

The first scene was set near a garden within the station.

Gardens are always a scarce and precious commodity in space, more valuable than gold. Having one immediately lent the space station an air of understated luxury and depth. Furthermore, the garden was perfectly situated to capture the station's structure—from the highest circular tower buildings down to the long walkway leading to the exit—making it the ideal vantage point.

Zi Ye, wearing the Ling Si uniform, sat before the prepared easel, angled perfectly to the side, holding the provided pencil. Suddenly, she recalled a crucial issue and snapped her head toward the director, "Director, I don't know how to draw."

The director waved it off. "It’s fine. Just make it look like you're drawing."

Zi Ye calmed slightly, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

Pencils had been museum pieces for several centuries. She fumbled a few times, finding the familiar texture, and began marking the clean white paper.

Her drawing skills were terrible. The mech lines she rendered were incredibly naive, lacking any of the sharp angles of a real machine, resembling a grade-school doodle instead.

Tang Wen walked over, looking at her drawing, fighting the urge to smile. He suppressed it and said kindly, "Do you wish for this to become real?"

Zi Ye looked at Tang Wen with hopeful eyes. "Can it?"

Tang Wen smiled faintly. "If you work hard enough, anything can become real!"

The second scene was in the experimental building.

The experimental building was the newest addition, only just completed at the start of the semester. It had been specifically constructed by the Ling Si faculty for Tang Wen’s exclusive use. The seven-story structure housed a complete, circular mech production line, with the terminal and endpoint on the first floor.

They changed into work overalls, selected metal stock, and stood at the first station to begin fabrication.

The director’s requirements were minimal—they only needed to pretend—but this was their actual expertise. When they started working, their movements were clean and decisive, and their cooperation during the division of labor was so seamless it suggested they had trained together for years.

If Blan hadn't been present, the director would have assumed Zi Ye was Tang Wen’s true operational assistant.

They worked at astonishing speed. Within minutes, a miniature mech was born at the assembly line terminal.

Zi Ye held the mech in her palms. The miniature machine lifted from her hand, soared out of the experimental building, and continued into space, growing larger as it flew until it became a full-sized, true mech—its lines smooth and elegant, its exterior powerful and commanding, drawing all attention.

The filming progressed quickly. After capturing the basic process, the director pointed out unsatisfactory details for reshoots and smoothed out any awkwardness in the first few lines of dialogue, making final adjustments to their expressions and positions. The core work was finished. In the experimental building sequence, they were acting completely in character, passing the take flawlessly, even outperforming professional actors by a margin of three points.

The director let the two go, planning to film necessary supplemental shots later.

As the crew packed up the set, a staff member picked up the mech drawing from the easel and couldn't help but chuckle. "Her artistic talent is truly outstanding."

The director took it and burst into loud laughter.

This drawing skill was beyond 'good'—it was phenomenal.

The staff member shrugged. "I'll swap it out for a normal drawing later. We should keep this one; if she becomes famous someday, we could auction it off, haha!"

The director pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "No, we'll use this one. She’s young; childish drawings are normal. And the more naive the drawing, the greater the contrast with the final product, which makes for a better effect."