After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 40

“Cut!” After this scene was filmed, Wen Zhi called for a stop.

Qi Puzhi and Jiang Tian went over to review the playback of the scene they had just shot.

The photography team was a specially hired, experienced crew, with meticulous attention to camera angles and composition.

They vividly and delicately captured the actresses’ eye contact during their dialogue, the subtle physical interactions between them, and their striking beauty.

“Teacher Qi truly lives up to her reputation.”

Watching Qi Puzhi’s performance in the final segment, Wen Zhi noted how the usually charming and flirtatious “heartbreaker” could still portray innocence so purely and convincingly, making one’s heart flutter without any sense of incongruity.

Qi Puzhi accepted the praise with a calm expression, though inwardly she felt a bit uneasy.

No one knew that she hadn’t been acting at all. There was no need for her to act.

At that moment, Jiang Tian glanced at her.

There was a meaningful smile in her eyes, and Qi Puzhi instantly understood this woman knew.

She averted her gaze, refusing to acknowledge the subtle teasing.

After reviewing the footage, Wen Zhi couldn’t find any issues.

She had extremely high standards for camera work, even nitpicking over the smallest details, but the two scenes they had shot so far were unusually perfect in one take.

As a triple-crown film queen, Qi Puzhi’s level of skill was no surprise to her.

However, Jiang Tian was an idol singer and dancer with no acting experience. Yet, when acting opposite Qi Puzhi, she not only held her own but was so natural and lively that she seemed to be Ye Su herself, with none of the forced “acting” typical of a newcomer.

Truly a rare talent.

Satisfied, Wen Zhi said, “We can move on to the next scene.”

As dawn broke, Ye Su sensed slight movements beside her.

In her groggy state, she felt someone gently tucking the blanket around her.

“Ah Ying,” she murmured the name before even opening her eyes.

Struggling to wake up, Ye Su saw Pei Ying’s face close to hers, her long lashes slightly lowered, her features gentle and clean.

Pei Ying paused her movements, withdrawing her hand awkwardly. “You’re awake?”

Ye Su hummed in response.

The young woman’s face, fresh from sleep, held a hint of innocence, and upon seeing Pei Ying, a sweet smile instinctively bloomed on her lips.

Pei Ying was momentarily captivated before she naturally averted her gaze, throwing off the covers and getting out of bed. “It’s still early. You can sleep a bit longer.”

But Ye Su got up with her. “Is Ah Ying heading to the opera house?”

“Yes,” Pei Ying replied, then hesitated. “During the day, you…”

“I have my own plans,” Ye Su quickly interjected.

Pei Ying’s lips parted slightly, but in the end, she asked nothing, only saying, “Be careful when you go out.”

After washing up, Pei Ying applied makeup in front of the mirror.

Her delicate and elegant face gradually transformed into one of mature allure, even excessively enchanting and seductive, increasingly resembling the promiscuous courtesan people often described.

Ye Su watched her reflection in the mirror without a word.

Pei Ying noticed the unspoken words in the young woman’s eyes but pretended not to see. Once she finished getting ready, she left.

The people of Wu City loved opera, and several renowned opera houses earned substantial monthly revenues.

As the lead performer, Pei Ying’s schedule was packed, with one performance after another, leaving no room for rest.

By the time she arrived, the stage was already set, waiting only for rehearsal.

An unfamiliar actor, seeing her approach, remarked in a suggestive tone, “Miss Pei, you’re so late. Could it be that Young Master Li was too unrestrained last night, leaving you unable to get out of bed this morning.”

The stage manager overseeing the rehearsal coughed, shooting a warning glance to silence the speaker.

The actor then fell silent, his gaze lingering on Pei Ying for a moment before he finally looked away.

Everyone looked down on Pei Ying, yet no one dared to provoke her.

The opera house was a place of leisure for wealthy theater enthusiasts, but behind the scenes, it was rife with shady dealings and illicit transactions.

For women with beauty but no backing, getting caught up in such dealings was like being swept into a whirlpool at sea utterly helpless.

Most performers in the troupe, regardless of gender, had been involved in such transactions to some extent. However, Pei Ying had climbed her way up by attaching herself to the Li family, the most powerful clan in Wu City, which inevitably stirred envy in many.

Pei Ying was used to it. She looked at the actor, a cold smile playing on her lips. “If you can’t even read the clock properly, how can you possibly perform well?”

She hadn’t been late at all.

Conflicts within the troupe were common, and the troupe leader, unwilling to offend his star performer, the one who brought in the money, quickly stepped in to mediate, later reprimanding the actor in private.

The day should have passed uneventfully, but in the afternoon, while waiting for rehearsal, the troupe leader brought in a newcomer.

She introduced, “After a month of searching, our opera house has finally found a pianist for the orchestra.”

One of the key reasons this opera house had become the most famous in Wu City was its exceptional live musical accompaniment.

The management had long wanted to hire another pianist, but in these times, only the sons and daughters of wealthy families could afford to learn the piano. Why would they stoop to performing in an opera house?

When they posted the notice, they hadn’t held out much hope, so it came as a surprise when someone actually applied.

Pei Ying had been facing away, but upon hearing this, she seemed to sense something and turned around, her eyes meeting the beautiful gaze of the young woman.

She tightened her grip on the script in her hand.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

In the dressing room, Pei Ying looked at Ye Su, her voice slightly low and her eyes filled with disapproval.

“The money I have will run out sooner or later. I need to find a stable source of income,” Ye Su explained softly, unperturbed by Pei Ying’s cold expression. “After much thought, this is the only skill I have that’s suitable for making money.”

Pei Ying bit her lower lip, her brows furrowing slightly. “Do you even know what kind of place this is?”

This place devours people.

Moreover, the opera house saw a constant flow of diverse people every day, and the role of a pianist was far too conspicuous. Ye Su could easily be found by her family.

Ye Su reached out and gently smoothed the furrow between Pei Ying’s brows. “Precisely because I chose to play the piano, they’ll assume I’m a wealthy young lady here to experience life, so they won’t dare bother me too much.”

Besides, to avoid overshadowing the main performance, the orchestra wore masks during shows and performed from an inconspicuous corner of the stage.

It wouldn’t be easy for her to be discovered.

“Moreover,” Ye Su said slowly, “I get to see A-Ying every day. That’s why this is the only job I want.”

Seeing Pei Ying’s expression soften, as if she was somewhat convinced, Ye Su curved her lips into an obedient smile. “A-Ying, aren’t you happy to have me here?”

“No,” Pei Ying replied, a little flustered as she moved Ye Su’s finger away from her brow. Her lips parted slightly, but in the end, she could only sigh helplessly. “Be careful. This place is chaotic.”

Ye Su nodded in agreement. “Don’t worry, I’ll stick close to you.”

Thrilled to have found such a rare talent as a pianist, the troupe leader grew excited and, during the final rehearsal of the afternoon, invited Ye Su to join and give it a try.

The musical score for this opera already included a piano part, but it was quite challenging.

Ye Su’s performance left everyone in the troupe in awe.

The young woman sat poised before an old, secondhand piano they had managed to acquire, her demeanor elegant and noble. She lifted her eyes to the sheet music and played flawlessly at first sight.

Slender, pale fingers danced nimbly across the keyboard, shifting between intensity and softness, layering emotions, each note handled to perfection.

At the climax of the melody, the character portrayed by Pei Ying was also undergoing the most perilous turning point of her life.

Through blurred tears, she saw Ye Su’s faint, indistinct figure by the piano.

Acting was a lonely endeavor.

She had performed countless times. Under the bright stage lights, amid the fervent gazes of the audience, she felt only boundless emptiness.

But in this very moment, she suddenly realized that this cold, detached path she had taken merely to make a living.

might begin to feel fulfilling.

Jiang Tian rose from the piano and walked over to Qi Puzhi, crouching down beside her.

The moisture in the woman’s eyes gathered at the corners, on the verge of falling but not quite, a pitiable sight.

Under the young woman’s gaze, Qi Puzhi snapped back to reality.

She blinked lightly and tried to push herself up, only to see Jiang Tian reach out and gently wipe away the tear that had already trickled down her cheek with her soft fingertips.

At that moment, the short film crew’s cameras weren’t rolling, but the variety show cameras were still recording.

Qi Puzhi felt the gesture was a bit too intimate and was about to remind Jiang Tian when she saw her take her hand and help her up from the floor.

“Haven’t snapped out of character yet?” Qi Puzhi asked with a deliberate smile once she was standing straight.

It was a way to provide a reasonable explanation for the earlier action.

Jiang Tian had been about to withdraw her hand, but upon hearing this offered excuse, she decided not to let go.

Holding her hand, she replied as if still somewhat dazed, “A little.”

“…” Qi Puzhi had been uncertain before, but now she understood, Jiang Tian wasn’t struggling to leave the role behind; she simply wanted to touch her.

So, she gave Jiang Tian’s hand a warning squeeze, while maintaining the demeanor of an experienced senior, speaking softly, “It’s common to have trouble leaving a role. You can think about real-life matters to help snap out of it faster.”

Jiang Tian, ever eager to learn, asked, “Like what?”

Qi Puzhi looked at her innocent, junior expression, as if sincerely seeking advice, and couldn’t shake the feeling that she was brewing some mischief.

Still, she answered earnestly, “Like something memorable that happened recently.”

“Got it.” Jiang Tian caught on immediately. After a moment of thought, she said, “Then it would probably be last night.”

Qi Puzhi: “…” Is that something you should say out loud?

In front of the multiple cameras trained on them, Qi Puzhi desperately wanted to cover this unruly woman’s mouth but couldn’t.

So, she gave a subtle warning with her eyes.

Jiang Tian seemed lost in thought before continuing, “It really works. Thinking about how Teacher Qi took care of me and taught me last night, I suddenly could distinguish between Teacher Qi and Pei Ying, and then I started to snap out of it a bit.”

Her expression was so serious, as if Qi Puzhi had genuinely guided her through studying the script and acting techniques at the hotel the night before.

Yet, after hearing those words, Qi Puzhi’s ears, hidden beneath her hair, began to heat up quietly, the warmth even spreading gradually to her cheeks.

Only she knew that the “teaching” from last night had actually involved her guiding Jiang Tian’s hand to explore intimate places.

From the perspective of the variety show filming, Jiang Tian’s words naturally erased the ambiguity of her earlier “probably last night” remark.

But from Qi Puzhi’s perspective.

Her gentle smile remained unchanged, though she subtly exerted force to free her hand from Jiang Tian’s grasp.

“That’s good to hear,” came the gentle, melodious voice, carrying a subtle, gritted-teeth undertone only Jiang Tian could detect. “It’s best to snap out of it.”