After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 39

“Oh, our Pei Ying and Ye Su have arrived.”

Gu Wen smiled and greeted the two as they entered the set.

Seeing her, Qi Puzhi raised her eyebrows slightly in surprise. “I didn’t expect the esteemed screenwriter Gu to grace the set in person.”

The script was already finalized, and it was only a short story. A top-tier screenwriter like Gu Wen didn’t need the extra pay from spending a couple of days on set.

“Just killing time,” Gu Wen said, resting her chin on her hand with a grin. “I came to see Teacher Qi perform in a sweet love story.”

Her gaze drifted from Qi Puzhi to Jiang Tian, then leisurely returned. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

Although it was just a lighthearted microfilm for a variety show, Cross-Border Date had invested significantly in it and had no intention of cutting corners.

The director they hired was Wen Zhi, who had recently made a name for herself in the industry and had just won a newcomer award for her debut work.

Everyone had already met during the online script discussions, so there was no need for lengthy pleasantries.

After changing into her costume and finishing her makeup, Qi Puzhi stepped out of the dressing room.

Due to space constraints, she and Jiang Tian were not in the same dressing room.

Glancing at the closed door across from her, she asked a nearby staff member softly, “Is Jiang Tian not ready yet?”

The staff member, however, stared at her in a daze, momentarily speechless. After a moment, they stammered, “Teacher Qi. you look so beautiful.”

Qi Puzhi was quite accustomed to such reactions and didn’t mind the non-answer. She curved her lips slightly, about to casually say thank you, when the door in front of her suddenly opened.

And then she forgot what she was going to say.

The young woman stood tall and graceful in an exquisite, water-blue cheongsam. Her skin was as pale as freshly fallen snow, accentuating her ethereal, cool beauty.

When she looked toward Qi Puzhi, her eyes held a tender, affectionate smile, and the curve of her lips revealed a charming dimple in her cheek, refreshing and delightful.

Truly, the image of a wealthy family’s third young miss.

Her lips parted slightly. “A Ying.”

Qi Puzhi’s breath hitched, and her hand, hanging at her side, curled slightly.

In that soft call, as she gazed at the familiar features of the young woman, she felt as if an entire lifetime had passed in that moment.

It felt like fate.

This sense of fate made her heart ache with emotion, and she stared at Jiang Tian, unable to speak.

But the young woman seemed to share some unspoken sentiment as well; her gaze grew distant, as if filled with countless unspoken words.

After what felt like an eternity, Qi Puzhi asked, “Is this the first time Ye Su and Pei Ying are meeting?”

The question seemed a bit abrupt. The first meeting of the two characters was clearly outlined in the script, and they hadn’t even started filming yet, they had just finished changing.

Yet Jiang Tian seemed to understand the deeper meaning behind her words and replied softly, “For some reason, it doesn’t feel like it is.”

Qi Puzhi pressed her lips together slightly, her gaze deep and thoughtful as she looked at Jiang Tian.

The story of Ye Su and Pei Ying was titled Light and Shadow.

“Light” referred to Ye Su, who had lived a carefree and sheltered life since childhood, while “Shadow” was Pei Ying, who had escaped a harsh family and experienced the bitterness of the world.

The first scene to be filmed was the segment where Ye Su, after running away from home, goes to the opera house to find Pei Ying.

The set was undergoing final checks and preparations. During the wait, Qi Puzhi asked Jiang Tian, “Are you nervous?”

After all, this was her first time acting in a film.

Jiang Tian replied, “Not really.”

Both she and Qi Puzhi were essentially playing versions of themselves in this film, and even the plot bore striking similarities to their own past experiences.

Compared to performing in other scripts, this one felt much more natural and effortless.

On the set, aside from the equipment for the microfilm, there were also cameras for the variety show itself, layered like nesting dolls.

When filming officially began, both sets of cameras were in operation, capturing every detail without missing a thing.

“Scene One, Take One of ‘Light and Shadow’ Action!”

Wucheng was a small riverside city in the north.

The river breeze tousled the young woman’s long hair slightly as she stood in front of a riverside pavilion and asked the man guarding the door, “Can I no longer go in?”

The man looked her over a few times. “This is Pei Ying’s performance. The tickets sold out long ago. You should buy earlier next time.”

Ye Su unhurriedly handed over a silver dollar.

The man’s eyebrows twitched slightly. He glanced around, making sure no one was watching, before taking the silver dollar and whispering, “Ahem, if you really want to watch, you can squeeze in somewhere at the back.”

After Ye Su entered, he weighed the money in his hand and muttered, “Which wealthy family’s young lady is this?”

The theater was packed, and Ye Su had to find a corner to stand in.

She didn’t mind, fixing her gaze directly on the stage.

There, a woman in a crimson dress moved with unparalleled grace and elegance, as beautiful as a celestial being descended to earth, her every expression captivating.

As she portrayed joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, the audience laughed and cried along with her.

The play was a tragedy. After the woman in red died with resentment, the person next to Ye Su wept uncontrollably, unable to recover for a long time.

“Pei Ying.”

While everyone else was calling out the name of the character in the play, he was sobbing the name of the actress offstage.

His friend beside him said, “Why haven’t you come to your senses? The character is just a character. That Pei Ying is nothing but a performer who sells her body, sleeping with the Li family every day.”

At this, someone chimed in, “Ah, if I could sleep with Pei Ying just once, my life would be complete.”

“Stop dreaming. Can you compare to the influence of the Li family?”

After these words, everyone fell silent.

The play ended on stage. Pei Ying had already bowed and left, and the audience gradually dispersed.

Ye Su weaved through the crowd and found a waiter to ask, “Where did Pei Ying go?”

The young woman exuded an air of nobility and offered a generous tip. The waiter assumed she was a young lady from some influential family and didn’t dare to offend her.

Hesitantly, he pointed her in the right direction but added a warning, “Miss Pei doesn’t like to be disturbed.”

Before he could finish, the young woman had already vanished.

As the star performer of Wucheng’s largest theater, Pei Ying had her own private dressing room.

She was removing her headdress in front of the mirror when she heard a knock at the door.

A “Do Not Disturb” sign was clearly hanging outside, and no one in the theater should have dared to bother her.

Pei Ying frowned slightly and stood up to answer the door.

Her cool expression froze when she saw who was outside.

Ye Su observed the woman’s reaction and smiled faintly. “You remember me.”

Pei Ying’s lips parted slightly. “What do you want from me?”

The young woman, dressed in an exquisite cheongsam and radiating elegance, spoke words that sounded rather pitiful: “If it’s convenient, could you take me in? I have nowhere to go now.”

Without waiting for Pei Ying to respond, she continued, “I have plenty of money and won’t trouble you in daily life. I just need a place to sleep.”

She added by way of explanation, “I’m afraid it’s not safe for me to rent a place alone outside.”

Pei Ying remained silent for a moment, studying the young woman before her. Surprisingly, she detected a hint of innocence and pleading in those stunningly beautiful features.

She couldn’t bring herself to refuse because years ago, when she herself had been stranded and helpless, this very person had been the one to offer help in her time of need.

After a moment of silence, she could only remind her, “My place is very small, and there’s only one bed. It’s far less comfortable than your home.”

“Mm.” Ye Su seemed not to mind at all, speaking softly, “I’ll be very well-behaved, A Ying.”

Pei Ying pursed her lips uncomfortably. “Don’t call me so intimately.”

“But A Ying sounds so nice.” Ye Su looked at her with clear, smiling eyes, making it hard to dislike her.

Pei Ying’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if she still wanted to say something, but in the end, she acquiesced silently.

“A Ying.” Noticing her indulgence, the young woman’s smile deepened, and she called out again softly.

“Cut!”

After the scene was filmed, Wen Zhi called for a stop.

She was pleasantly surprised by Jiang Tian’s performance.

Jiang Tian usually carried an air of politeness but with a distinct chilliness. Wen Zhi had initially worried that she wouldn’t be able to portray the obedient and gentle demeanor Ye Su had in front of Pei Ying at the beginning.

Unexpectedly, she captured it so perfectly.

Wen Zhi didn’t hold back her praise for Jiang Tian, failing to notice the complex expression on Qi Puzhi’s face as she listened nearby.

No one knew that acting obedient was Jiang Tian’s specialty; she had just performed as usual.

The obedient demeanor Ye Su displayed in front of Pei Ying at the beginning was strikingly similar to the way Jiang Tian had acted obediently in front of her before.

The scene was filmed smoothly, and the actors’ performances were flawless, so they moved directly to shooting the next scene.

Pei Ying’s residence was not large, located on the east side of the second floor of an old building. From the outside, it looked rather desolate and dilapidated.

But once inside, it was a different world. The furniture was of excellent quality, and the decor was beautifully designed.

“A Ying, you really know how to live.” Ye Su surveyed the interior of the house and couldn’t help but admire it. “How many performances did it take to earn enough money for all this?”

Hearing this, Pei Ying replied indifferently, “Not many.”

Noticing Ye Su pause and turn back to look at her curiously.

Pei Ying curled her lips into a self-mocking smile. “I’m a woman of the night. Didn’t you know?”

Ye Su was momentarily stunned, then pressed her lips together. She recalled the gossip she had overheard beneath the stage earlier.

She walked over a few steps and gently tugged at Pei Ying’s sleeve. “A Ying, don’t use such words to describe yourself.”

Pei Ying could clearly see a trace of sadness in the young woman’s eyes.

Of course. Ye Su had grown up in a wealthy family, a pampered and privileged daughter who had never been tainted by the world’s impurities. She probably despised such matters and people, avoiding them at all costs.

For some reason, Pei Ying felt bothered by that sadness. She said coldly, “I am right here in this filth. If you look down on me, why bother getting involved?”

“That’s not what I meant.” Ye Su gazed at her with clear eyes, explaining softly, “In life, many things are beyond our control. Even if A Ying is in the filth, I don’t think anything of it. It’s just. an intuition tells me you wouldn’t be”

The young woman’s eyes were too sincere.

Pei Ying’s heart stirred, but her expression remained unmoved. “We’ve only met a few times and haven’t spoken much. How could you possibly understand me?”

But Ye Su keenly seized the key point in her words and smiled gently. “A few times? So, A Ying noticed me every time I came to watch the performances?”

“…” Having inadvertently revealed herself, Pei Ying shifted the topic uncomfortably. “It’s getting late. You should go wash up first.”

Living alone, she had chosen a small, narrow sofa that couldn’t accommodate someone sleeping on it.

The two of them would have to share the bed.

After finishing her shower, Pei Ying came out to find Ye Su lying obediently at the very edge of the bed, as if afraid of crowding her.

Her gaze was gentle and serene, waiting for Pei Ying to join her for sleep.

A strange emotion welled up in Pei Ying’s heart.

Suppressing it, she lifted the blanket and hesitantly asked, “Why are you homeless?”

Ye Su answered frankly, “I don’t want to fulfill the marriage arrangement.”

Pei Ying knew Ye Su came from a prominent family and understood that, in such circles, personal wishes were often dismissed as unnecessary rebellion.

After all, she herself had struggled desperately to escape that very quagmire.

She lay down without commenting on Ye Su’s escape, only saying, “Move closer.”

Ye Su was lying so close to the edge that the slightest turn would send her tumbling off.

The young woman obediently rustled closer, and Pei Ying could feel the warmth radiating from her body.

“A-Ying, how long can I stay with you?” Ye Su asked softly.

After a brief silence, she heard the woman reply, “As long as you like.”

At these words, Ye Su turned onto her side to face Pei Ying. “What if I never leave?”

Pei Ying tilted her head to meet her gaze, noticing that Ye Su’s eyes, compared to their daytime clarity and innocence, now seemed unusually profound.

Even hard to decipher.

For some reason, her heart trembled.

“As long as you like,” Pei Ying repeated her earlier words.

Then she saw Ye Su’s face bloom with an intoxicating smile.

Leaning in slightly, Ye Su brushed a light kiss against Pei Ying’s cheek. “Thank you.”

For someone raised with affection, intimacy might be instinctive, and expressing gratitude with a kiss on the cheek was perhaps common.

But Pei Ying froze.

Pursing her lips, she looked at Ye Su, her eyes misty, like someone caught off guard and unable to react after being unexpectedly touched.

Ye Su watched intently, her throat moving slightly.

A-Ying, like this and yet she still called herself a woman of the world.

Only a child would believe that.