I Ran Away After Flirting with the Goddess - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Since Shen Lishu had put it that way, Su Lin didn’t press the matter further. She simply reminded her to pay attention to her diet and rest before packing up her laptop to leave.

“By the way, most of the posts smearing An Rongrong online have been deleted. A lawyer’s letter for infringement of personal reputation has also been sent to ‘Industry Insider Uncle 8’.” This matter certainly wasn’t going to be dropped just like that.

Su Lin picked up her laptop bag and said to Shen Lishu, “Newcomers are easily influenced by outside comments. You should find some time to counsel An Rongrong using your experience as a veteran.”

She frowned slightly. “I feel like An Rongrong is a bit afraid of me. You’ll probably have to do these things on my behalf for the time being.”

Could An Rongrong not be afraid of her? With Su Lin’s business-is-business, clinical demeanor, what employee wouldn’t be afraid of her!

Shen Lishu was more than happy to play the “good cop.” She still remembered An Rongrong telling Su Lin, “I like you very much.”

My fan trying to climb over the wall to someone else? How can I tolerate that?

Shen Lishu planned to quietly demolish the “wall” that was Su Lin for An Rongrong. She smiled slightly. “Don’t worry, leave it to me.”

The smile made a chill run down Su Lin’s spine. She gave Shen Lishu a couple of extra looks before seeing her head into the changing room to change, then she finally got off the RV.

Before leaving, Su Lin called Xiao Zhang over to chat about Shen Lishu. The Best Actress didn’t need her to worry about much, except for her picky eating habit, which was a bit tricky.

“If all else fails, make her drink some fruit or vegetable juice. Her weight can go down, but her physical state can’t,” Su Lin instructed Xiao Zhang. “Don’t spoil her too much; make sure you watch her drink it with your own eyes.”

Shen Lishu happened to overhear this just as she was stepping out of the car. Her eyelid twitched, and she had a bad premonition. However, her acting skills were top-notch; she pretended she hadn’t heard a thing, walking naturally over to Xiao Zhang’s sun umbrella and waving goodbye to Su Lin.

“I’ll go say hello to Director Mao before I head out.” Su Lin truly was “Mother Su” thorough in everything she did. Despite her cold exterior, she was very smooth in handling professional relationships.

Shen Lishu ignored her and went straight to find An Rongrong, who was squatting in front of a fan, to run through their lines.

The “Grand Slam” Best Actress, who had won so many awards her hands were tired and who used to be able to nail a scene in one take after just a glance at the script, was now somehow seeking out a minor actress to rehearse every single day.

Xiao Zhang clicked her tongue and shook her head, feeling that her boss was truly “living backward” the older she got.

The next scene to be filmed was a warm sequence of the two watching a movie. There weren’t many lines; what mattered was the atmosphere between them. This was also the first long take An Rongrong had encountered since filming began where there would be no “cut,” requiring her to improvise.

Around 6:00 PM, all departments were ready, and Shen Lishu and An Rongrong prepared to start.

This was the first time Ye Tan had invited her girlfriend to a movie. They were watching a romance film. Ye Tan had gone ahead to buy popcorn and coke, while Luo Yue had picked up the tickets.

The script supervisor held the clapperboard and shouted, “Sink, Cinema Entry, Scene 1, Take 1, Action.”

“Here,” Ye Tan handed the bucket of popcorn to Luo Yue, her eyes full of smiles. “Cream flavor.”

Two girls watching a movie together was a very common sight; normal people would just assume they were best friends. Yet, Luo Yue was still nervous, always afraid someone would see that her relationship with Ye Tan wasn’t ‘normal.’ Her expression was very stiff.

Even when Ye Tan handed her the popcorn, Luo Yue didn’t dare make eye contact. She took it with an unnatural movement and whispered, “Thank you.”

Ye Tan looked down at her. Perhaps understanding something, she hooked the corner of her mouth into a stiff smile and didn’t say anything else. She simply shifted her gaze elsewhere, her expression looking a bit dejected.

There was only a step’s distance between them, but at this moment, it felt like a deep chasm.

Ye Tan didn’t care about others’ gazes; she had always been an outsider. But Luo Yue couldn’t do that. Luo Yue was a ‘good girl,’ a star student; even a slight look of suspicion would make her feel like she was sitting on pins and needles.

Ye Tan looked somewhat lonely. She lowered her head and pulled out her phone to scroll, her eyes not even focusing; she had no idea what she was looking at. People newly in love are always prone to worrying about gain and loss even someone as confident as Ye Tan was no exception.

Not until it was time for ticket inspection ten minutes early did Luo Yue suddenly take a deep breath. Taking advantage of the crowded throng, she boldly and proactively reached out to grasp Ye Tan’s wrist.

Ye Tan’s eyes flickered. Her gaze fell on Luo Yue’s fingers, then slowly moved up her arm until their eyes met.

“It’s starting.” Luo Yue’s face was flushing intensely. Her gaze was bashful, as if scorched, unable to meet Ye Tan’s eyes. She simply led her inside, letting the crowd jostle and push them, never letting go of Ye Tan’s wrist.

A smile appeared in Ye Tan’s eyes, and her originally dull gaze gradually brightened. She hooked her arm around Luo Yue’s waist to protect her as they walked in, while simultaneously tilting her chin to say impatiently to the people behind them, “Please queue up and enter in an orderly fashion, thank you.”

They were crowding her girlfriend.

The first part ended. Director Mao gave an “OK” sign and signaled for the makeup artists to tidy their hair. Immediately after, the second take began.

The movie started. Ye Tan and Luo Yue sat side-by-side, their hands tightly interlaced in the darkness. At this time, the cameras were to their side and behind them; the shot was mainly of their profiles rather than their full faces.

Shen Lishu suddenly spoke, “Rongrong,” she turned her head slightly to look at An Rongrong and let out a soft laugh. “Are you nervous? Your palm is full of sweat.”

An Rongrong froze. First, her face turned explosively red, then her neck stiffened as she sat bolt upright. Her peripheral vision instinctively wanted to look back at Director Mao. She lowered her voice and stuttered a reminder, “We… we’re still filming.”

“It’s fine. This kind of shot doesn’t record audio. We can chat freely as long as we don’t turn our heads.” Shen Lishu squeezed An Rongrong’s hand, stopping her urge to look back. “Act naturally. What couple sits so stiffly while watching a movie?”

An Rongrong didn’t want to, but she was nervous! Not only were her palms wet, but even the tip of her nose was breaking out in a fine sweat. Shen Lishu had been holding her hand the whole time, fingers interlaced. The heat traveled through her palm to her heart, making An Rongrong’s breath tremble, her eyelashes flutter, and her heart race. Just being able to sit still in this position was taking all of her self-restraint.

At this moment, she really wanted to do a split on the spot and bury her face in her legs to calm down. Usually, surrounded by staff and cameras, An Rongrong could constantly remind herself she was acting. But now, in the pitch-black cinema, An Rongrong could only feel herself and Shen Lishu; she actually developed the illusion that the two of them were really dating.

Fortunately, Shen Lishu let go of her hand at this moment, giving An Rongrong a chance to breathe.

An Rongrong didn’t register a single thing about what the movie was playing, because she suddenly heard Shen Lishu say to her, “Rongrong, I’m sorry.”

An Rongrong was slightly stunned and looked at her in confusion. The light from the screen hit Shen Lishu’s face; her features were exquisite, her beauty breathtaking.

Shen Lishu looked at her, light shimmering in her eyes, looking apologetic. “I didn’t step forward to speak up for you when all those people were attacking you online.”

At that time, almost every post featuring An Rongrong’s name was full of slander. Overwhelming malice had been hurled at this twenty-year-old girl, as if trying to destroy her. If words were weapons, An Rongrong would have been covered in wounds long ago.

An Rongrong froze for a second. Her gaze trembled slightly. She squeezed her fingers and stiffly turned her neck to look at Shen Lishu.

So the Goddess saw Weibo too.

An Rongrong wanted to say it was fine. Technically, Shen Lishu had even been implicated by her, and Shen Lishu had no reason to speak up on Weibo for someone she had only just met. But now, all the words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat, unable to come out. Only the shimmer of tears wobbled in her eyes.

No one likes being cursed at, and An Rongrong was no exception. When the sky-high slander and insults came crashing down on her head, even the strongest heart wouldn’t be able to take it. An Rongrong just hadn’t said anything.

Sometimes, grievances are like that: you can grit your teeth and endure them when you’re alone, but the moment someone else shows concern, your defenses crumble instantly.

An Rongrong looked down at her fingers. Her vision blurred into a watery haze. Her chest felt heavy and aching, and a sharp sting rose in her nose.

“This won’t happen again in the future,” Shen Lishu reached her arm across the armrest and placed her palm over the back of An Rongrong’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’ve got your back.”

An Rongrong’s gaze shook and her heart contracted. Tears fell along with Shen Lishu’s words. Her whole body felt like it had turned to water; she desperately wanted to throw herself into Shen Lishu’s arms.

An Rongrong sniffled and, as if possessed, turned to ask Shen Lishu, “Sister, can I hug you?”

At this moment, she had completely forgotten she was filming.

Shen Lishu raised an eyebrow. “Is this scene in the script?”

The Best Actress’s professional standards hit the heat-headed An Rongrong like a cold bucket of water, snapping her out of it. She blinked her moist eyes, her ears turning red with guilt as she said, “No.”

“Then you can’t hug,” Shen Lishu heartlessly withdrew her hand. She leaned back against the seat, looking up at the screen in front of her, unable to stop a laugh. “How did you learn to add scenes for yourself the moment you got a backer?”

She said, “Your ego is inflating way too fast.”

An Rongrong: “…”

An Rongrong died on the spot.

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