I Ran Away After Flirting with the Goddess - Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Film it one more time?

An Rongrong’s eyes snapped wide open instantly. Her whole body perked up, and she was suddenly full of energy.

Wasn’t that supposed to be my line?!

Was the Goddess really this much of a perfectionist? An Rongrong expressed that she absolutely adored a Best Actress with such professional dedication and pursuit of detail!

She mentally urged Director Mao to respond to a good actor’s request and redo that passionate kiss in the rain. An Rongrong looked at Director Mao expectantly, her large eyes blinking, attempting to transmit her thoughts via brainwaves.

Clearly, Director Mao did not get the signal.

“Film it again?!” Director Mao’s voice spiked on the spot, nearly blowing the roof off the temporary studio.

He still didn’t know how he was going to handle Ji Ning’s deleted scenes, and now Shen Lishu was stirring up trouble wanting to reshoot the kiss scene. He was developing PTSD regarding the word “reshoot.”

“Here, take the camera. Why don’t you be the director?” Director Mao snapped. “Yesterday’s kiss was shot from 365 degrees—you can film it however you like.”

“That wouldn’t be very appropriate.” Not appropriate for broadcasting, that is.

Shen Lishu made a token gesture of refusal, then tilted her head toward An Rongrong, winking. “I’m willing, but the other person might not be.”

I’m willing! I’m willing! I’m exceptionally willing!

An Rongrong was being teased into a frenzy. She held one hand high in the air. Look at me! Look at me! Look at me! Look at me!

Unfortunately, before she could speak, she heard Director Mao roar at Shen Lishu, “Stop causing trouble!”

He pointed at An Rongrong, tapping the air emphatically. “The poor girl has already raised her hand in protest. You really take an inch and want a mile. Can you act like a senior for once? You’ve scared the newcomer.”

An Rongrong: “?”

Director Mao, did you learn reading comprehension from a PE teacher? Every fiber of her being, down to her hair follicles, was transmitting her willing consent. Where did “protest” come into this?!

“Oh?” Shen Lishu’s tone lilted upward as she asked An Rongrong, “Did I scare you?”

An Rongrong shook her head frantically.

Shen Lishu spread her hands toward Director Mao. “See? The newcomer has no objection to reshooting the kiss scene with me.”

An Rongrong’s cheeks heated up at her words. Straight women really have no filter when they speak; they clearly don’t care about the state of other people’s heart rates.

Director Mao gave a cold huff, too annoyed to deal with Shen Lishu anymore. A reshoot was out of the question; he was very satisfied with last night’s take. He told Shen Lishu to give up on the idea. If she had excess energy, she should go look at the sea—she could “make waves” however she liked there.

As for Ji Ning’s original scenes, they would have to wait for the new actor to arrive. He grumbled under his breath about Xu Xinyou: “Complaining about the budget one minute and changing cast the next. Too much money burning a hole in her pocket.”

Director Mao went to find the screenwriter. An Rongrong watched his retreating back with a resentful gaze, firing off intense silent condemnations. Unfortunately, Director Mao only had eyes for the next stage of the script and completely blocked her out.

The filming for the “Passionate Love Phase” of Sink was mostly finished by yesterday, save for a bed scene that would be picked up in the third stage. From today, they were to begin the second stage: the “Initial Acquaintance Phase.”

This was why Director Mao had gone to the screenwriter to review the upcoming plot. Having bonded through the “Passionate Love Phase,” the actors were now familiar and relaxed with each other; shooting the first-meeting scenes now would make the subtle tensions easier to handle.

Filming is rarely linear; shuffling scenes like this is common, and shooting out of season is the norm. An Rongrong’s only consolation was that they weren’t filming winter scenes in July or August. If she had to wear a turtleneck and a down jacket now, she would probably pass away on the spot.

The assistant director came over to invite the two leads to makeup. An Rongrong’s look for the second stage was slightly more “green” and youthful. Since she had only recently entered the workforce, she still carried a quiet, scholarly student vibe, though the overall change wasn’t drastic.

However, the character Ye Tan, played by Shen Lishu, was significantly different from the first stage. It wasn’t just the makeup or clothing; it was a shift in temperament.

In the “Passionate Love Phase,” Ye Tan was bright and bold, like a flower in full bloom, radiating vigorous vitality from the inside out. In the “Initial Acquaintance Phase,” however, Ye Tan was solitary. She spent almost every night after work drinking, smoking, and hitting bars. She looked exceptionally free and easy, but she exuded a sense of decadence from within—like a flower at the end of its bloom, her brilliance tinged with the scent of decay.

Though she had bid farewell to her past, Ye Tan’s heart was empty. Like rootless duckweed, she drifted through each day, unable to find a place for her soul to rest. Like many girls working hard in a big city, she felt this place wasn’t “home.”

Ye Tan had it worse; she had no home at all, no place to truly land. After work, she could only go to bars, using tobacco and alcohol to numb the emptiness. Over time, she couldn’t even remember what she used to be like, nearly losing herself in the neon lights and wine.

This was why colleagues warned the newly-hired Luo Yue that Ye Tan “played hard,” and that getting too close would result in being eaten alive. Because Luo Yue’s looks and temperament were exactly the type Ye Tan liked.

Clean. Beautiful.

From the moment Luo Yue stepped into the office wearing a white floral dress, Ye Tan felt as if she had seen her own moon, and she could no longer look away. Sometimes feelings are just that strange—one look is enough to decide that a person is your destiny.

In fact, when Ye Tan met Luo Yue, it was the moment when her inner loneliness had reached its breaking point. Had it been a bit later, Ye Tan might have truly accepted someone’s invitation for a one-night stand and descended completely into ruin.

Fortunately, she met her Moon. The “Epiphyllum” (Queen of the Night) that bloomed in the dark finally waited for her bright moonlight.

The portion to be filmed today was the newcomer’s induction and the evening welcome party. As the department head, Ye Tan was responsible for planning the party, which was set at a high-end restaurant near the company.

The colleagues were howling with excitement, saying they were piggybacking off the newcomer’s luck; otherwise, Supervisor Ye would be too lazy to care what they ate.

After the daytime “First Meeting” scenes were finished, they waited for the lights of Shanghai to flicker on and for the nightlife to begin. Only then did Director Mao film the welcome party. He was that particular—if it wasn’t dark, he wouldn’t shoot.

Inside a private room of a high-end restaurant, the actors playing colleagues were in position. The “white liquor” (actually water) had been uncorked and poured. An Rongrong took a deep breath and flashed an “OK” sign to Director Mao.

“Night Scene 4, Take 1 of Sink, ‘The Party,’ Action!”

“Luo Yue, come, let’s have a drink. I’ll look out for you in the company from now on.” The male colleague next to her swayed as he raised his glass, evidently already drunk.

Luo Yue was the prettiest and most elegant of the newcomers; many male colleagues were interested in her. They all found various excuses to drink with her. Everyone was toasting one another; it seemed that not drinking was equivalent to being antisocial or not giving face.

Especially for a newcomer like Luo Yue, it was hard to refuse. She had already forced herself to down a few glasses, but she truly couldn’t handle her liquor. A flush slowly crept up her cheekbones; her face was crimson, and her lips were moist. She looked like a ripe honey peach, radiating a sweet fragrance that invited picking.

Luo Yue didn’t want to drink anymore, but her shy, quiet personality made it impossible to say no. Finally, a married sister sitting nearby noticed her struggle. “Drink what? Why are you making a young girl drink so much?”

“Sister Chen, everyone is having a good time, don’t be a killjoy.” The male colleague had already stood up. Although he spoke to Sister Chen, his eyes never left Luo Yue. While they couldn’t do anything while drunk, getting Luo Yue drunk was a thrill in itself.

Being colleagues, Sister Chen couldn’t be too blunt, so she reached out and gently nudged Luo Yue. She provided an excuse for her to leave the table: “Supervisor Ye has been out for a while and hasn’t come back. Go check on her.”

Ye Tan had gotten a call earlier and left her seat; she hadn’t returned.

Luo Yue looked at Sister Chen gratefully, grabbed her makeup bag, and walked out. Behind her, she could hear the men’s sighs of regret and attempts to make her stay, making Luo Yue’s palms turn cold.

She didn’t know where to find Ye Tan, but she just needed to leave that room filled with the stench of alcohol.

“Night Scene 4, Take 2 of Sink, ‘The Encounter,’ Action!”

Luo Yue walked quickly outside. It wasn’t until she closed the door of the ladies’ room, gripping the handle with her forehead against the door, that she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Luo Yue?” A voice sounded from behind her, sounding somewhat familiar.

Luo Yue turned her head in confusion and locked eyes with Ye Tan, who had gone out to take a call.

Ye Tan was leaning against the sink with one arm crossed over her chest, a half-finished cigarette held between her index and middle fingers. The small window behind her was halfway open, clearly to let out the smoke.

Luo Yue looked at the woman in shock, as if she hadn’t expected to run into her in the restroom.

The take ended there. But An Rongrong couldn’t quite snap out of character.

She leaned against the door behind her, her clean, pure eyes reflecting Shen Lishu’s figure. The woman was leaning sideways against the sink, one arm across her chest, the other hand hanging down holding a cigarette butt that glowed like a dim star. She raised her eyes to look at her with a languid posture.

An Rongrong’s heart skipped a beat at that look, then began to pound frantically.

Shen Lishu was wearing a long black deep-V dress, her slender waist cinched, showcasing her perfect figure. Her voluminous, slightly wavy hair was loose, half draped in front and half behind, exuding femininity. Holding a cigarette, the decadent laziness of Ye Tan hadn’t yet faded, giving her a sort of “broken” beauty. It made one’s heart ache, yet also made it race.

An Rongrong stared straight at Shen Lishu, unwilling to even blink. Her heart was screaming: Sister’s beauty is a total “slay”!

What was even more lethal was that Shen Lishu’s red lips curled. She lowered her eyes, took a drag of the cigarette, and then looked up to slowly exhale the smoke toward An Rongrong, her gaze hazy and alluring. It was as if she were intentionally teasing her.

An Rongrong gasped, her eyes glazing over instantly.

Shen Lishu was clearly pleased by An Rongrong’s expression; her eyes were full of amusement. She leaned against the sink, smiling with enchanting charm. “Little sister, you’re practically drooling.”

She walked over to An Rongrong, leaning in slightly. Her lips brushed against An Rongrong’s ear, and she asked in a seductive, low voice, “Do you want me to give you a ‘feed’?”

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