I Ran Away After Flirting with the Goddess - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Shen Lishu’s actions whether turning to look at An Rongrong or reaching across the armrest to pat the back of her hand all perfectly matched Ye Tan’s persona and the current movie-watching plot.

In this long take, the cameras were capturing their movements and backs, and no audio was being recorded, so the Best Actress’s performance was impeccable.

But An Rongrong was a little newcomer!

Her acting hadn’t reached such a sophisticated level yet; she had no clear boundary between being in-character and out-of-character. She was easily teased out of the scene by the Best Actress and then forcibly shoved back into it to keep going.

An Rongrong felt miserable. Her heart full of emotion from a moment ago had vanished in the blink of an eye.

When Shen Lishu said she had never been in a relationship, An Rongrong previously thought it was because others were blind and unworthy of her “sister.” Now, she felt that Shen Lishu being single wasn’t entirely due to work.

Some people are single purely by their own merit.

The Best Actress had already started critiquing the movie’s plot and filming techniques. An Rongrong slumped in her chair, drained of life, offering perfunctory agreement: “Sister is so great, why is sister so amazing, sister knows so much!”

A perfectly energetic girl was being forced to speak like a sycophant.

An Rongrong stuffed popcorn into her mouth, recalling the conversation. She felt moved, embarrassed, and lingeringly fearful. She had actually blurted out that she wanted to hug Shen Lishu—how bold!

If she wanted a hug today, would she want a kiss tomorrow? If things kept developing like this, wouldn’t she be asking for a “high lift” the day after!

Now that they were “close to the water” as superior and subordinate, it was very convenient. If she continued to be spoiled by Shen Lishu like this, she’d eventually have the guts to peel back the covers and crawl into her arms.

The mere thought was stimulating. An Rongrong let out a tiny whine, her heart itching.

Director Mao was slow to call “cut.” Half the movie had played by the time they had enough footage.

“Cut!” Director Mao’s rough voice rang out in the theater. “Wrap it up.”

The extras stood up and swarmed out. Shen Lishu and An Rongrong stood by Director Mao to review the shots. Director Mao selected a few clips that showcased their chemistry.

The first was the silhouette of Shen Lishu turning her head to look at An Rongrong. Under the theater screen’s glow, though her expression wasn’t visible, one could sense the gentle, smiling look she had at the time. At that moment, Ye Tan’s eyes were full of Luo Yue.

The second was when Shen Lishu reached out to hold An Rongrong’s hand. Director Mao commented, “Lishu added this part very well. When feelings are deep, you can’t help but touch. It perfectly fits the interaction of a young couple.”

Hearing this made An Rongrong’s gaze waver. She looked down at her toes, not daring to speak, but her heart was loudly agreeing with the director.

Exactly! Well said! That’s the logic!

An Rongrong stood with her hands on her hips (mentally), wagging her tail. She liked Shen Lishu; what was wrong with wanting to kiss and hug and be lifted high!

After discussing Shen Lishu, it was An Rongrong’s turn. Director Mao said, “When Rongrong turned her head to look at Lishu, she looked very surprised. Luo Yue is introverted and isn’t used to public displays of affection, so this reaction was excellent.”

At that time, An Rongrong had only looked up because she heard Shen Lishu say “I’m sorry.”

Thinking about it carefully after hearing Director Mao’s words, while Shen Lishu was talking to her, she was actually also giving her cues and helping her stir her emotions.

This woman was incredible. If she wasn’t a “Goddess,” who was?

Director Mao was the type to call out mistakes but never stingy with praise for good work. He was satisfied with An Rongrong’s performance in this long take and gave her a couple of compliments.

An Rongrong felt she didn’t deserve it. She had actually broken character at the time, forgetting Luo Yue’s reserved nature and even asking to hug Shen Lishu. Luckily she was stopped; otherwise, it would have been out of character, requiring a reshoot and a scolding from the director.

An Rongrong leaned in, hands clasped behind her back. Her heart skipped a beat as she whispered to Shen Lishu, “Thank you, Sister.”

The more she interacted with Shen Lishu, the more she unconsciously fell for her.

The day’s filming ended, and An Rongrong went back to the hotel to rest. She heard Shen Lishu mention she had a fitness session scheduled because her personal trainer saw her “stealing” watermelon and lychees on Weibo yesterday.

Shen Lishu was baffled. She had specifically asked for a black plastic bag when buying the watermelon how could they tell? Couldn’t it have been a ball or a helmet?

An Rongrong followed behind her, covering her mouth and giggling. She thought the Goddess, grumbling about not wanting to exercise, was even cuter.

Back at the hotel, An Rongrong changed into yoga clothes and stretched for a while. Shen Lishu was right dancers who don’t practice for a long time get “itchy” skills; her bones felt like they were creaking with rust. Even if she didn’t rely on dance for a living in the future, she would still set aside time to review her basics.

After her shower, An Rongrong sat cross-legged on the sofa, drying her hair. She looked at the WeChat chat for [Auntie Xu] and sent a message.

Auntie, I’ve signed with a studio.

About two or three minutes later, a reply came. An Rongrong was surprised; Auntie Xu had clearly been busy with a crew lately, otherwise, she would have messaged her when she saw the trending search during the day.

Auntie Xu: Is it Shen Lishu’s studio?

Just seeing those words made An Rongrong float. She smiled so hard her eyes crinkled and typed back forcefully.

YES!!!

The good mood was palpable through the screen. Same university as the Goddess, same profession, acting with the Goddess, and successfully sneaking into the Goddess’s studio An Rongrong was truly a model fan!

Forward this An Rongrong and you too can reach your idol!

While An Rongrong was happily daydreaming, her phone buzzed.

Auntie Xu: Best Actress Shen’s studio has good resources, no messy drama, and currently no one to compete with you. It’s a good thing. I’m happy for you. (Smile/emoji)

No one knew An Rongrong’s feelings for Shen Lishu better than Auntie Xu. Knowing she had successfully made a connection, Auntie Xu was genuinely glad.

An Rongrong giggled and replied: With your words, I dare to tell Mom about this!

An Rongrong’s mother hadn’t been very supportive of her entering the entertainment industry, but she didn’t persist in her opposition since Rongrong loved it. It was already 9 PM, and her mother always went to bed early, so An Rongrong hesitated and didn’t call.

She chatted a bit more with Auntie Xu, but the signal on the other end was spotty. After a few more exchanges, they said goodnight.

The next morning, An Rongrong woke up early in high spirits. After arriving on set, she munched on a bun the assistant director had bought and sat on a small stool flipping through her script.

A new actor was coming today, and she had several scenes with them. An Rongrong was afraid of performing poorly, so she was working extra hard. Actually, she knew the lines by heart, but fearing nerves or accidents, she reviewed them repeatedly. During the process, she even asked Shen Lishu about the tone and expressions for certain lines.

Shen Lishu sat next to her, holding a cup of vegetable juice sent by Xiao Zhang—a shade of green so unappetizing it killed any hunger. She looked at An Rongrong with a blank expression, her head tilted.

Shen Lishu must have slept weirdly; a stubborn tuft of hair at her temple was sticking up. No matter how she smoothed it, it remained frizzy and defiant. An Rongrong had so much hair she never worried about balding; her only concern was “exploding” hair.

For the sake of styling convenience, An Rongrong had tied her hair into a messy bun. Now her whole head of hair looked fluffy and soft, making her look fuzzy—as if she’d be very pleasant to pet.

An Rongrong was chewing on her lines more seriously than her bun, forgetting to drink the soy milk by her feet.

Shen Lishu rested her chin on one hand and glanced at Xiao Zhang, who was yawning and scrolling through her phone. Her eyes returned to An Rongrong, who was focused on reciting lines with her eyes closed.

A mischievous glint appeared in Shen Lishu’s eyes. She stealthily leaned over and swapped her vegetable juice with An Rongrong’s soy milk.

“Rongrong, have a sip of soy milk before you continue,” Shen Lishu reminded her with a smile. She crossed her legs and rested her chin on one hand, watching her. Meanwhile, she hid the soy milk with her other hand, crossing her arms behind her legs.

Without any suspicion, An Rongrong gave a vague hum in response. Her eyes never left the script. By instinct, she reached for the “soy milk cup” by her feet, brought it to her lips, and took a huge gulp.

The taste was… indescribable. Like a premium soy milk suddenly turning into old fermented bean juice!

An Rongrong’s face instantly shriveled like a wrinkled bun. her cheeks puffed out, caught between spitting it out or not. She looked down at the “soy milk” that had suddenly changed flavors.

Beside her, Shen Lishu burst out laughing at the successful prank. “Don’t spit it out, it’s vegetable juice,” she said mischievously. The taste wasn’t great, but it was healthy.

An Rongrong blinked. She looked at the soy milk in Shen Lishu’s hand, then at the “bean juice” bah! vegetable juice in her own. She struggled to swallow the mouthful.

Looking at the cup in her hand the one Shen Lishu often used her face slowly turned the color of a small tomato.

An… indirect kiss?

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