Chapter 38 p2
Xu Jingyu, looking down at Xin Yao, her gaze falling on the small, slightly disheveled figure before her, two strands of hair sticking up, making her look like a fluffy little animal.
So small.
Xu Jingyu stared at her for a moment before reaching out.
Liu Nuan Nuan, in Xin Yao’s mind, was teasing her, saying that she might get beaten up in the restroom for knocking the other person’s gloves off.
Xin Yao, feeling a twinge of anxiety, was relieved when the other person finally reacted. She reached out to return the gloves.
In her haste, her cold, wet fingers brushed against the other person’s palm.
The fleeting contact didn’t register with Xin Yao.
But for Xu Jingyu, it was like an electric shock.
A tingling sensation spread from her palm, up her arm, making her entire body tingle.
It was as if a switch had been flipped, a long-dormant desire awakening within her.
She instinctively closed her hand, capturing Xin Yao’s fingers.
The other person’s skin was softer than she had imagined, the brief contact sending a shiver down her spine, the delicate texture like a flower petal, soft and yielding.
The warmth of their joined hands was intoxicating.
It was like a drug, awakening a long-suppressed hunger within her.
“Are you alright?” Xin Yao asked, concerned, her beautiful eyes, bright and sparkling, looking at Xu Jingyu with a worried expression.
An unsuspecting prey.
Xu Jingyu thought.
But even prey could fight back.
Xu Jingyu’s silence, her prolonged grip on Xin Yao’s fingers, made the little prey uneasy. After a moment, Xin Yao pulled her hand away.
She had to tug quite hard to free her fingers, her fingertips slightly red. This person was really strange!
“I’m very sorry for knocking your gloves off. I have to go now.”
She turned to leave, but a voice stopped her.
“What’s wrong with your hand?”
The voice, cool and clear like the clinking of ice, made Xin Yao pause, her mind momentarily blank.
But that was impossible.
She turned to see the person in black, their gaze fixed on the bandage peeking out from beneath her sleeve.
“Oh, this,” Xin Yao quickly lowered her sleeve, covering the bandage.
“Does it hurt?” Xu Jingyu asked, her voice still cool and calm.
Even she found her own question strange.
She wasn’t a caring person. In fact, she was known for her aloofness.
Xin Yao also found it strange, but she politely replied, “Thank you for your concern. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
With that, she finally left the restroom.
Xu Jingyu watched her go, her gaze lingering on the empty doorway.
As Xin Yao walked away, she replayed the encounter in her mind, still finding it strange, but she quickly dismissed it, her thoughts turning to the upcoming audition.
But as she entered the audition room, she saw the strange person again.
Dressed in a long black coat, sitting beside the director, their demeanor calm and composed.
Were they part of the crew? Or the other lead actress?
As Xin Yao looked at them, they also looked at her, their gazes meeting in mid-air.
Just then, the director spoke.
Director Gao Ge, wearing rimless glasses, her hair pulled back in a tight bun, her appearance serious, yet her films known for their gentle and nuanced storytelling, looked at Xin Yao.
She had met Xin Yao twice before and had been impressed, finding her a perfect fit for the role of Lu Duanjing.
She had heard about the recent scandal but didn’t believe Xin Yao was capable of such things.
And more importantly, the powerful figure sitting beside her had insisted on casting Xin Yao.
The director’s initial preference, the positive impression, and the influential recommendation, it all contributed to her favorable attitude towards Xin Yao.
“Xin Yao, let’s begin the audition.”
“From now on, you are Lu Duanjing. Your lover, Wen Sigu, is about to leave you. Express your emotions.”
“I’ll find someone to play Wen Sigu, to act opposite you. Let’s see…”
She trailed off, a shiver running down her spine.
She turned to see the person beside her looking at her, their dark eyes intense and intimidating, even without a word.
She coughed, then pointed at Xu Jingyu. “Let’s have Ms. Xu act opposite you.”
Ms. Xu…
Xin Yao silently repeated the name, nodding at Xu Jingyu in greeting.
She was actually quite nervous about the audition, having no acting experience, her knowledge of the craft limited to her observations of Xin Wanyin in her previous life.
She had even practiced with Liu Nuan Nuan the previous night.
But hearing the scene they would be acting, she felt a sense of relief. The pain of a lover leaving, she was experiencing it now.
Without any preparation, she walked towards Xu Jingyu.
Xu Jingyu was still fully covered, only her eyes visible.
Xin Yao looked into those deep, beautiful eyes, and the memories of almost losing Pei Yu flooded her mind.
A wave of sadness washed over her, mingled with a deep, unspoken love, tears welling up in her eyes.
She reached out, as if wanting to touch Xu Jingyu’s face.
As Xin Yao looked at Xu Jingyu, Xu Jingyu was also looking at her.
Watching as the usually cheerful light in her eyes dimmed, replaced by a profound sadness, a heavy yet strangely luminous grief.
Xu Jingyu’s thoughts slowed, then stopped, her gaze captivated by Xin Yao’s expressive eyes.
She instinctively reached out, wanting to take Xin Yao’s hand.
But just then, Xin Yao, who had seemed on the verge of tears just moments ago, suddenly withdrew her hand, ignoring Xu Jingyu’s outstretched fingers, and turned to the director.
“Director Gao, I’m finished.”
Xu Jingyu’s hand hovered in mid-air, grasping only air.
Director Gao was stunned by Xin Yao’s performance.
She hadn’t said a word, her performance brief yet powerful, the raw emotion so intense that it was almost suffocating.
She had initially chosen Xin Yao for her resemblance to Lu Duanjing, her gentle and timid nature, but she had been concerned about her ability to handle the more intense emotional scenes.
But Xin Yao’s performance had been surprisingly powerful, even drawing the usually aloof and impassive Ms. Xu into the scene.
While Director Gao had already decided to cast Xin Yao, thanks to Xu Jingyu’s recommendation, she had still wanted to see her acting skills.
And now, her eyes shining with excitement, she knew she had found her Lu Duanjing.
She and Xin Yao started discussing the role, their conversation animated and enthusiastic.
Xu Jingyu sat there, watching Xin Yao, her hand slowly retracting, her gaze hidden beneath the brim of her hat.
Xin Yao, leaving the audition, got into the car, her mind still reeling from the experience.
Chen Jia, waiting in the driver’s seat, saw her expression and her heart sank.
“Sister Xin Yao, are you okay?”
“Mm-hmm,” Xin Yao nodded absently.
Chen Jia, thinking the worst, tightened her grip on the steering wheel, turning to comfort Xin Yao.
“Sister Xin Yao, it’s okay. There are other opportunities. We can’t give up because of one setback.”
“I passed.”
“Even if you didn’t get this role, there will be others. We… wait, what?!”
“I said,” Xin Yao looked at her, her eyes shining, “I got the role of Lu Duanjing!”
“What?! Really?!”
Chen Jia almost jumped out of her seat, then, unable to contain her excitement, leaned over and hugged Xin Yao. “Sister Xin Yao, you’re amazing!”
Xin Yao hugged her back, both of them squealing with delight.
Their shared joy dispelled the lingering shadows of the past.
Meanwhile, Xu Jingyu…
That night, in her cold, dimly lit bedroom, she lay in bed, her pajamas buttoned to the top.
She closed her eyes, trying to sleep, but the memory of Xin Yao’s touch, the soft pressure of her fingers against her palm, lingered, making her restless.
In her hazy state, she felt the phantom touch of Xin Yao’s fingers, tracing a path from her palm to her wrist, then up her arm…
She clenched her fists, her throat tightening, a bead of sweat trickling down her forehead.
The memory of that brief touch, the sudden awakening of a long-dormant desire, consumed her.
She opened her eyes, the dim light reminding her of Xin Yao’s bright, sparkling gaze.
Xin Yao…
Xin Yao.
Director Gao Ge was known for her efficiency.
She had been preparing for this project for a long time.
The supporting roles had already been cast, and with the two female leads finally confirmed, filming began immediately.
Xin Yao was informed that she would be joining the production soon.
The opening ceremony was held in the morning, and filming began that afternoon.
Xin Yao hadn’t met the other lead actress yet, unaware of who she would be acting opposite.
Just before 3 pm, as she waited on set, dressed in her costume, Director Gao approached her, holding the script.
“Xin Yao, have you memorized your lines?”
Xin Yao, having prepared diligently, practicing her acting in the system space and memorizing her lines, nodded.
“Yes, I have.”
Director Gao breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. I was going to have you film another scene first, but Ms. Xu just arrived, and I thought it would be better for you two to get acquainted first. So, we’ll start with a more intimate scene, to help you build some chemistry.”
“Ah, Ms. Xu, speaking of you, this is Xin Yao. Say hello.”
Director Gao had just learned that Xu Jingyu didn’t actually know Xin Yao.
Why had she recommended someone she didn’t even know? It had disrupted her plans.
Before Xin Yao could ask which scene they would be filming, she turned to look at the newcomer.
A tall, elegant figure, dressed in a white lab coat over a stylish pantsuit from the Republican era, a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on their nose, walked towards them.
Their long legs and commanding presence, their cool, aloof demeanor, made them a striking figure.
Xu Jingyu.
The name surfaced in Xin Yao’s mind.
She remembered it because Xu Jingyu was the original owner’s idol, someone she deeply admired.
Xu Jingyu had won Best Actress for her debut film, and every film she had starred in since then had been a box office hit.
Not only was she incredibly beautiful, her acting skills were also legendary.
If she wasn’t so reclusive and mysterious, her awards shelf would be overflowing with trophies.
Even so, her position in the industry was unchallenged. She was the undisputed queen.
This was the first time Xin Yao had met her in person.
But looking at her dark, intense eyes, her commanding presence, Xin Yao’s heart skipped a beat.
Wasn’t this the strange person she had met in the restroom? And the person sitting beside the director during her audition? The director had called her “Ms. Xu.”
Wait.
Was Xu Jingyu the other lead actress?
But she hadn’t been the other lead actress in Xin Yao’s previous life. Had her arrival changed something?
As Xin Yao pondered this, Director Gao, who had just asked them to greet each other, suddenly spoke again.
“Ms. Xu has also changed into her costume. We’ll start filming soon.”
“The first scene of ‘Unseen Spring’ is the one where Lu Duanjing goes to see Wen Sigu, trying to reconcile, and kisses her.”
“Xin Yao, be prepared. Get into character.”
Xin Yao, having memorized the script, knew about the kissing scene, but…
“The… the first scene is the kissing scene?”
“Yes,” Director Gao replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Is there a problem?”
Her confirmation silenced the room, even Xu Jingyu pausing in her approach.
Xin Yao looked at the aloof and elegant movie queen, her heart pounding.
This was practically their first official meeting.
They hadn’t even exchanged names, hadn’t properly introduced themselves, and they were about to kiss.
And…
Xin Yao looked at the woman standing before her, bathed in the soft light.
She was beautiful, elegant, her eyes cold and distant, her aura as powerful and aloof as Pei Yu’s.
No, stop that.
Xin Yao shook her head. Comparing Xu Jingyu to Pei Yu was rude.
But the thought of kissing this person made her heart race.
She reminded herself that it was just work, part of her mission! But she still felt nervous and embarrassed.
And then the director, having dropped the bombshell, walked away, waving her hand dismissively, saying she had to check on the set.
Leaving Xin Yao, her anxiety growing, alone with the aloof and elegant movie queen.
Neither of them spoke.
As the silence stretched, the atmosphere growing increasingly awkward, Xu Jingyu finally spoke, her voice cool and calm, her dark eyes fixed on Xin Yao.
“Then, I look forward to working with you, Ms. Xin.”
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