Superstar's Development Diary
Chapter 237 - 238: On Tiptoes, You Can See the Sunlight

Chapter 237: Chapter 238: On Tiptoes, You Can See the Sunlight

Zhang Ming frowned upon hearing the words "depression," and cautiously asked, "Why are you suddenly interested in this?"

Something seemed to strike him, and his face changed dramatically as he said, "Don’t tell me you suspect that you might have—"

Sheng Yan shot him a glance and coldly floated out three words: "Thinking too much."

He reached up to massage the center of his forehead and said in a low voice, "Jinxia took on a new film related to depression, and I’m afraid she’ll get too immersed and something will happen."

Zhang Ming heaved a sigh of relief and said, "As long as it’s not you, that’s good. Oh, are you talking about that half-artsy, half-literary film? Literary films love to delve into the harsh realities of life, claiming high literary value and slapping a gold veneer on a mess of things. To be honest, who even watches literary films these days!"

They say art originates from life, but there are too many commoners in life; in a hundred people, maybe only one or two possess noble sentiments to specifically watch those artsy and literary films.

With this in mind, Zhang Ming felt even more pessimistic about the film He Jinxia had agreed to do.

He looked up at Sheng Yan, who was resting with closed eyes, pondered for a moment, and said:

"I actually know a bit about depression. Many people in the industry suffer from it, but even more difficult to detect is bipolar disorder. This illness is hard to notice, and once it strikes, it can quickly lead to a breakdown.

The unexplainable weakness throughout the body, cold limbs, heart palpitations, anxiety, and so on, yet when you go to the hospital, they can’t find anything wrong. It’s a psychological disorder, it can be treated, but it’s hard to cure.

Remember the popular singer He Chao from last year? He was diagnosed with this illness, so his planned global tour never happened.

He would have made it to the top-tier singers after the tour, but due to the illness, all his plans were disrupted, and he’s been out of the public eye for nearly a year now, with no news."

Zhang Ming summed up: "This illness is a nightmare for stars; once contracted, work must come to a complete halt. Have your little girlfriend be careful, rather than getting too deep into the role."

Sheng Yan’s eyes darkened, he would naturally pay attention to such things, but...

He looked up at Zhang Ming and uttered three icy words: "Am I worried?"

Zhang Ming choked on his words, coughed lightly, and quickly gestured, saying, "No no no, you are young and promising."

His words shifted as he muttered softly, "But indeed, older than the young lady."

Sheng Yan turned his gaze toward the scenery outside the window and stated unquestionably, "Your salary—"

"Ah? Aunt Sheng? Yes, Sheng Yan is here, he’s doing very well. Ah? You’re asking about Jinxia? Jinxia is also fine, yes, very well. I’ll find some time to send you their itinerary, don’t worry, they’re both fine, nothing to worry about..."

Before Sheng Yan could finish speaking, Zhang Ming hastily interrupted him.

Zhang Ming picked up his phone and called Aunt Sheng, not sure if it was a real or a fake call. With his interruption, the so-called "half salary" matter was dropped.

When Zhang Ming hung up the phone, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and could feel the chilly intent from Sheng Yan’s gaze; that was close!

He thought to himself, Sheng Yan truly treasured He Jinxia as a gem, not to be scolded or touched, and if he had to talk about her, it had to be in a favorable manner. He’d have to be more careful in the future.

Time flew by, and soon, He Jinxia’s two weeks of character experience in the hospital were over.

During this time, Tongtong’s illness waxed and waned, giving He Jinxia a deeper understanding of the disease while also making her heartache.

When she left the hospital, she made a special point of painting a picture for Tongtong and writing a few lines of text.

The painting was, of course, in the ancient style, which in modern terms, was filled with that ancient flavor, and the text was also deliberately written with a brush she bought.

The content of the painting was simple, a tree with flowers, leaves, and little birds on it, highlighting the vivaciousness of the birds.

The text was very plain and didn’t match the content of the painting at all, but when He Jinxia went to write, those words naturally came to her mind, so she filled them in—

[On tiptoes, you can see the sunshine.]

After He Jinxia finished writing, she herself was momentarily stunned. As she thought further, another sentence popped into her mind: "Open your heart, and you can embrace the sun."

But in the end, she didn’t add that latter sentence.

She had always felt that there were many things that Tongtong actually understood, but she allowed herself to fall, allowed herself not to go out because her heart was sick, and it would have to be her own realization to find the way out.

So, just that one sentence was already enough; there’s no need to say too much or too detailed—better to let her slowly figure it out on her own.

What He Jinxia didn’t know was that after her departure, Tongtong kept staring at that painting she made, lost in thought.

Tongtong didn’t tear up the painting; instead, she carefully preserved it and occasionally took it out to look at it. Later on, some of the nurses saw it and asked if she wanted to learn to paint.

Tongtong paused for a long time, then nodded, stubbornly pointing at the painting He Jinxia had done and said, "I want to paint one exactly the same."

Latter on, painting became a point of entry in Tongtong’s treatment for depression.

*

"Get out, all of you get out! Get away!!" In the pale hospital room, a patient in a blue striped hospital gown screamed hysterically, scattering everything on the nearby table all over the floor and even throwing pillows and bedsheets outside.

Nurses and doctors flocked to her, pleading with her not to do anything foolish.

The person didn’t heed them, her face expressionless, and even more radically, she picked up a knife that had fallen to the floor, pointed it at those trying to calm her, and yelled:

"Don’t come over, don’t come near me, get out! All of you, get out!"

"Cut! Good! Good! Good!" The young director couldn’t contain his joy, repeating the word "good" three times, his cheeks flushed with excitement as if he were the one acting in the film.

He Jinxia trembled all over, still holding the knife tightly in her hand, not yet fully recovered from her angry outcry.

When she turned her cold gaze to Duan Yu, it was filled with indifference and hatred, chilling Duan Yu’s excited mood like a bucket of cold water thrown over him—bone-chilling, yet his heart didn’t soar a bit.

He swallowed and laughed awkwardly, continuing to applaud.

He Jinxia caught her breath for a moment, preparing to put down the knife in her hand, when Duan Yu hastily said, "Wait, keep that pose, don’t move, I’ll get a close-up of your hands. Clench them tighter, with a fierce feel."

He Jinxia did as he said, her hand movements driving her facial expressions, and a patient brimming with hatred was vividly captured on film.