Hooking Away the Male Lead’s White Moonlight, the Best Actress - Chapter 7

The glint of tears in Shen Manyu’s eyes intensified, swaying like countless dazzling waves on the sea’s surface under the midsummer sun.

Overwhelmed with guilt, she said cautiously, “It’s all my fault. I have failed the sincere affection you showed me, Sister.”

“Sister, hit me or scold me if you must. I won’t fight back.”

Hua Yanqiu’s heart turned ice-cold. Her entire body felt as if it had been plunged into a freezing lake, the bone-chilling cold spreading through her limbs.

Her pride wouldn’t allow her to admit that, even facing a woman as “bad” as Shen Manyu, she had actually felt genuine joy and anticipation.

She thought Shen Manyu was flirting with her, but it turned out Shen Manyu was just playing her!

Anger toyed with her sanity. Hua Yanqiu couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh filled with mockery and sarcasm. “So, the reason you came over tonight was because you were afraid Jing Yanqing would settle scores with you for how you treated me before? You’re deliberately using me as a shield to dodge the bullet and find refuge?”

“Shen Manyu, you’re something else. You go out of your way to cause trouble for me, and when the end is near, you suddenly remember to use me? Hmm?”

Shen Manyu opened her red lips to explain, but she seemed at a loss for where to start. Her sorrowful appearance was so piteous that it was nearly impossible for anyone to be cruel to her.

Even knowing she was a “bad egg,” it was different from before; despite knowing she was thoroughly wicked, one still couldn’t bear to reprimand her.

Jing Yanqing had long coveted Hua Yanqiu but could never gain even a shred of her attention. He was a selfish man by habit, far from being a good person. Hua Yanqiu possessed a mysterious background and extensive connections within the industry. Even if he wanted to use underhanded tactics to make her his, he was ultimately powerless.

Since he couldn’t have Hua Yanqiu herself, Jing Yanqing found countless actresses and made them imitate her every frown and smile, keeping them by his side for his own pleasure.

This behavior undoubtedly disgusted Hua Yanqiu to her core, exhausting the last of her superficial politeness toward him.

How he had found Shen Manyu was unknown to Hua Yanqiu. But ever since he found her, Shen Manyu had undoubtedly become his most favored mistress.

If one were to say the old Shen Manyu had used her beauty to pull Jing Yanqing’s attention toward her, that wasn’t exactly true.

After all, judging from Shen Manyu’s previous attempts to target her, the woman was just a “brainless beauty”—both stupid and malicious.

The tricks she used were clumsy in the extreme, resembling nothing more than a game of “house” in a kindergarten.

Jing Yanqing’s affection for her was like someone idly playing with a dull but obedient dog.

He constantly tested Shen Manyu’s limits, wanting to see exactly how far she would go for him. He was grooming her way of thinking, wanting to turn her into a loyal dog that obeyed only the commands of its master.

But now, after Hua Yanqiu had already labeled her as “ignorant and foolish,” she seemed to have suddenly had an epiphany, completely overturning the perception that Hua Yanqiu and others had of her.

She was “bad” in a powerful way. Her eyes were flirtatious, her posture seductive; every movement felt like a deliberate provocation. A single light glance was enough to stir the deepest desires in one’s heart.

Hua Yanqiu realized she had been played. All of Shen Manyu’s antics tonight were just a way to stall until Jing Yanqing arrived.

As long as she stood in front of her, even if she didn’t actively defend her, Jing Yanqing would restrain himself to protect his image in front of Hua Yanqiu—though in her heart, he no longer had an image to speak of.

Whatever heartbeat Shen Manyu had coaxed out of her earlier had now transformed into a soaring, violent rage.

This “crash” was so disastrous that it left a thick psychological shadow over Hua Yanqiu’s heart.

Facing Shen Manyu’s “pity-me” look, she uncharacteristically cast aside all thoughts of being tender toward the fair sex and stepped forward.

Step by step, her pace was heavy and commanding, carrying an unutterable fury. The expression on her face was as cold as the eternal frost atop a mountain peak.

Shen Manyu, intimidated by the pressure, involuntarily backed away slowly.

As they stared at each other, Hua Yanqiu’s eyes darkened, looking as though a violent hurricane was swirling within them. Stormy waves were hidden there, threatening to pull Shen Manyu under.

While cautiously backing away, Shen Manyu couldn’t help but ask in panic, “Sister, what… what’s wrong?”

She was like a startled young animal, her face marked by deep tear stains and filled with terror. Even though Hua Yanqiu hadn’t done anything yet, an invisible threat seemed to be tightening around her neck.

It was as if the animal’s genes carried a natural instinct for sensing danger. Shen Manyu’s eyes were fixed on Hua Yanqiu, not daring to look away for a second.

She backed up further and further until her heels hit the wall. She had nowhere left to run.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, reaching a breaking point.

The assistants stood by in a daze, completely bewildered. They looked at Hua Yanqiu, then at Shen Manyu, unable to understand how the plot had suddenly developed into such an explosive scene.

Shen Manyu’s back pressed against the cold wall. There was no more retreat.

Her thin nightgown slipped down slightly with her movements, revealing the jade-like, translucent skin beneath, enough to make anyone’s head spin.

Hua Yanqiu pressed one hand against the wall to prevent her from escaping, while the other hand carefully avoided her skin, pulling the neckline of her nightgown upward.

The two were very close. As Hua Yanqiu tilted her head slightly, the faint warmth of her breath brushed against Shen Manyu’s cheek, which quickly bloomed into a soft flush.

Her movements in adjusting Shen Manyu’s neckline were unhurried, carrying a sense of restrained tenderness and consideration. She was exceptionally polite, a true gentleman; her gaze remained disciplined and honorable, never once straying toward places she shouldn’t look.

Yet, she could still clearly feel Shen Manyu’s ragged, forced breathing—a sign of extreme tension—as her fingertips slowly pulled the fabric of the collar up.

Shen Manyu’s vivid red lips were pressed tight, her eyes widened involuntarily, and her brow furrowed, even carrying a hint of a plea.

She clearly felt something. In the face of this proximity, those beautiful eyes held no disgust, no rejection, and none of the emotions that typically signal a negative reaction.

So why claim to be homophobic?

Hua Yanqiu had no intention of digging deep into her psyche; she had already found the answer she wanted.

Her movements paused for a moment, and she slowly exhaled.

The frost on her brow melted, replaced by a spring-like vitality that seemed to wake the earth from its slumber. The ancient, unyielding ice quietly dissolved, and the pounding of the heart in Hua Yanqiu’s chest gradually steadied. Her gaze turned peaceful again, the violent storm smoothed away.

She made no further move. As their eyes locked, Hua Yanqiu’s lips curled into a gentle smile as she slowly repeated: “Homo… phobic?”

She didn’t press closer; even her gaze was deeply suppressed and restrained.

Yet, the tension rising from the bottom of Shen Manyu’s heart grew more intense. Blood surged through her veins and into her brain, the overwhelming stress causing a momentary wave of dizziness.

Her body couldn’t help but tremble slightly, though it wasn’t entirely due to fear. As her nerves reached their peak, a flicker of excitement—the thrill of meeting a worthy opponent—poked its head out from beneath the surface.

Shen Manyu clenched her fists tightly. Her well-manicured, rounded nails didn’t pierce her skin, but the slight, dull ache helped her reclaim a bit of her sanity.

“Sister, I… I…”

She looked like a simple, tongue-tied person suddenly accused of theft, completely unsure of how to explain herself. Cornered by a groundless accusation, she was speechless, her eyes brimming with tears and her gaze trembling—the picture of helplessness and exhaustion.

Hua Yanqiu saw right through the disguise. Knowing that this woman’s acting skills were far from the “clumsy” reputation the world gave her, she didn’t doubt her own judgment for a second.

She leaned in close to Shen Manyu’s ear, her voice extremely soft and thin, carrying a trace of uncontrollable amusement: “Don’t you know?”

“The project you went to such great lengths to snatch from my partner’s hands—the drama you’re about to star in with me—it’s a same-sex script.”

Her words hit Shen Manyu like a heavy hammer. Caught entirely off guard, her heart gave a violent jolt.

The shock was so powerful that all her charming, flirtatious mannerisms vanished instantly. After a brief moment of blankness, her expression turned sharp.

She stared quietly at Hua Yanqiu, her expression suddenly turning cold as she asked slowly: “A same-sex script?”

“So, you really didn’t know.” Hua Yanqiu sighed. Seeing that Shen Manyu was no longer willing to even pretend after hearing the news, she understood that while Shen Manyu might not be repulsed by her personally, the claim about being “homophobic” might not have been entirely fake.

Shen Manyu’s brow was tightly knit, the corners of her mouth pulled down. The allure was gone, and so was the smile.

The sudden coldness she radiated was like a torrential downpour in a sub-zero Northern winter—chilling to the bone. Standing there, she looked aloof and inviolable, her demeanor becoming strikingly similar to Hua Yanqiu’s own.

Seeing how much she cared, a sudden flash of vengeful pleasure rose in Hua Yanqiu’s heart.

She didn’t move away, nor did she pull closer, but her lips were pressed nearly against Shen Manyu’s earlobe, as if she could take that rounded pearl into her mouth the moment she spoke.

She lingered by Shen Manyu’s ear for a second before turning her head slightly to look at Shen Manyu’s flawless profile and vivid, succulent lips. She whispered softly:

“There are kiss scenes… and there are bed scenes, too.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard of Director Chu’s reputation. He is a very strict old man—he won’t allow you to use a body double.”

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