After Being Dumped by the Film Empress, My Acting Skills Soared - Chapter 76

Chapter 76

“Hand away.”

Upon hearing the voice, Shao Niannian instinctively let go of the strap she was clutching. She blinked, looking up at Jiang Yan who stood directly in front of her.

“Don’t rush. The more you hurry, the harder it is to get the buckle in.” Jiang Yan reached out personally to fasten it for her. Her pinky finger brushed against Niannian’s chin, forcing her to tilt her head up slightly as Jiang Yan’s slender fingers maneuvered around both ends of the strap.

In such a narrow space, no matter how much one tried to dodge, skin-to-skin contact was inevitable.

Niannian kept her chin up, not daring to let her gaze fall on Jiang Yan. The frequency of her blinking shifted unconsciously. She couldn’t tell if the sun filtering through her messy hair was too piercing, or if the person in front of her was simply too dazzling.

Her heart was a mess.

Jiang Yan, head down as she worked the clasp, didn’t guess Niannian’s shy thoughts. Initially, her focus was indeed on the unfastened buckle, but the soft, delicate texture of the skin her fingertips touched made her mind wander. She instinctively wanted to avert her eyes.

As her gaze drifted lower, she realized that riding gear was inherently form-fitting. The curves hidden beneath the fabric, leading up to that slightly arched neck, were breathtakingly beautiful.

Jiang Yan knew exactly how that skin felt under clothes. Sleeping in the same bed every night, even thin fabric couldn’t completely block the tactile sensation. Jiang Yan wasn’t a saint; no matter how many deep breaths she took lying beside Niannian, her mind would drift back to the deep-V dresses, the slender waist, the wrists, and even the ankles tied with simple red strings she had seen in Niannian’s past film clips.

A director who knew how to film beautiful women could capture Niannian’s beauty as a perfect blend of agility and charm. Even in a gritty, rural tragedy like Over the Mountains, Niannian could make people ache with a single tearful glance—it was just a shame the film was a critical success but a commercial failure.

“Um… isn’t it done yet?” Niannian whispered. Holding her head up for so long made the back of her neck ache, yet Jiang Yan remained motionless.

What should have been a simple buckle had turned into a complex puzzle that took forever to solve. Hearing Niannian speak, Jiang Yan hurriedly pulled her hands back.

“Done,” Jiang Yan said, feigning composure. “This buckle is indeed much harder to manage than mine.”

“Right?” Niannian adjusted her gear. Before she could pick a horse from the stalls, her wrist was firmly gripped by Jiang Yan.

“Come here.”

Jiang Yan led Niannian past the front row of stalls to the back, where the horses were kept in private rooms with individual caretakers and nameplates.

She brought Niannian to a chestnut horse. Jiang Yan stroked its mane, and the horse affectionately nuzzled her, eager to be let out. Niannian looked at the nameplate and hesitantly called out in English:

“Kore.”

The horse’s ears flicked. It turned to Niannian immediately, pressing its large face against her cheek without any hesitation, completely forgetting its actual owner. Kore was practically begging Niannian to take him for a ride.

“You certainly know how to pick ’em,” Jiang Yan muttered to the horse. “Don’t forget who buys your food and pays your rent.” Despite the teasing, she skillfully led Kore out and worked with the trainer to gear him up.

“Remember how to mount?” Jiang Yan asked.

Niannian stood there awkwardly, wanting to scratch her head but being blocked by her helmet. Under Jiang Yan’s gaze, she admitted sheepishly, “I’ve forgotten everything…”

“I figured.” Jiang Yan sighed softly and gestured for Niannian to step closer to Kore. She placed a hand on Niannian’s waist while holding the reins with the other, giving step-by-step instructions.

Kore, feeling a bit restless, shifted his weight. As he moved, Niannian froze, instinctively reaching for the most stable thing nearby—Jiang Yan’s arm. She gripped it tight, her expression dead serious.

“Relax. If you’re nervous, Kore will be nervous too,” Jiang Yan comforted her. “Once you’re settled, I’ll get on and ride with you.”

“I’m scared. Hold onto me.”

“I’ve got you.”

Niannian scrambled onto Kore’s back rather ungracefully, her grip on Jiang Yan never wavering. The pressure through the clothes made Jiang Yan wince slightly, but she said nothing. She stepped into the stirrup and swung herself up behind Niannian.

Jiang Yan was an excellent teacher, starting from the most basic movements. Kore was perfectly cooperative.

Usually, Jiang Yan was a “three-times” teacher: if you didn’t get it after three explanations, she’d suggest you see a neurologist to check your IQ. She hated “idiots” who couldn’t follow her train of thought. This was why she usually detached herself so quickly from co-stars she had “fallen” for during filming.

But with Shao Niannian, Jiang Yan seemed to have infinite patience. Anyone who had ever been taught by Jiang Yan would probably think she had been possessed by a ghost if they saw this scene.

Mina, watching from the sidelines, muttered to herself, “Which one of them lacks more self-awareness? ‘Contract dating’? ‘Barely know each other’? ‘Never even had a scene together’?”

Mina rolled her eyes and posted a Friends-only update on WeChat, hidden from Jiang Yan and Niannian: “Am I just a prop in your foreplay?”

Three hours later, Niannian was riding Kore solo across the grass.

“Is it fun?” Jiang Yan asked, waiting at the finish line.

“So much fun!” Niannian beamed, patting Kore. “Kore is so obedient! And you’re a great teacher. I got to practice way more than I ever did on set. It’s much more interesting than I thought.”

“Glad you like it.” Jiang Yan helped Niannian down, obsessively smoothing out the wrinkles in Niannian’s clothes.

Niannian watched Kore being led away with longing. If she weren’t so rational, she might have tried to buy him on the spot. Jiang Yan noticed. “You like Kore?”

“I love him! He’s so good!” Niannian credited the horse’s intelligence for her successful ride. “How much does a horse like Kore cost? Someone as smart as him must be expensive.”

She did the mental math, comparing Kore to the price of her father’s new car, then thought of her bank account controlled by her aunt. The dream popped like a bubble. She couldn’t afford to stop eating just to look at a horse. Maintenance alone would be astronomical.

“Forget it,” Niannian waved a hand. “I can’t afford to raise him.”

“You don’t have to. If you like him, Kore is yours.”

Niannian froze, her eyes widening behind her gear. “You’re joking, right?”

“No, I’m serious.” Jiang Yan’s tone was as casual as if she were commenting on the weather. “I can transfer ownership to you. Kore can stay here, and it won’t cost you a cent. You can visit whenever you miss him. As for the membership, I can apply for one for you.”

“Wait… I feel like…” Niannian was at a loss. Giving a horse as a gift? It felt wrong, but she was afraid if she argued, Jiang Yan would pull out a contract right there.

Mina, arriving late, only caught the second half. Her expression matched the live stream audience’s: “Someone please remind Jiang Yan that she’s a total ‘love-brain’!”

Kore was a horse Jiang Yan had bought for a fortune from abroad. People had offered blank checks for him or his breeding rights, and Jiang Yan had rejected them all coldly. Now, she was just giving him away?

The fans were stunned. Jiang Yan’s fans went into “playing dead” mode—they knew how much Kore meant to her. The casual viewers were losing it.

—“A horse as a token of love… she really knows how to play the game.”

—“Objects can be thrown away, but a living creature is a lifelong bond. As long as that horse breathes, the two owners are tied together.”

—“She basically just gave away a luxury penthouse in the city center.”

—“I thought this was a fake ship for marketing. I was wrong. These are real lesbians. Help!”

During the evening’s grass-side buffet, Niannian stayed in the restroom for a long time, splashing cold water on her face to fight the crimson flush.

Why did she have to sound so sincere when she offered the horse?!

She had acted in so many “CEO falls for me” dramas, but this was the first time she felt the “swoon” factor of a powerful lead—especially when that lead looked like Jiang Yan.

Desperate, she thought, Maybe I should ask Gu Yizhi for some romance novel recommendations tonight. At least with Jiang Yan’s face in her mind, even the most cliché plots were starting to look good.

The party outside was beautiful, with lights blending into the night. But as Niannian walked back out, she saw Mina and Jiang Yan arguing in low voices near the drinks.