Love Contract with the Queen Actress - Chapter 19

“Scene 81, Take 3, First Shot, Action!”

The clapperboard, marked with scene details in bold black marker, snapped shut in the hands of the production assistant.

The camera began rolling as Su Yuchen, portraying Princess Minglu, stepped into frame. Clad in a flowing black robe with subtle shimmering patterns, she held a longsword, its tip angled toward the ground.

Outside the palace, flames roared skyward, and the sounds of battle and screams filled the air.

Her eyes gleamed with icy resolve as she strode through the smoke and chaos, entering the grand hall.

Backlit by the inferno, her dark hair whipped wildly in the wind, an aura of lethal intent radiating from her.

Despite her slender frame, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that the razor-sharp blade in her hand could strike with deadly precision, cutting down any obstacle in her path.

“You betrayed the dynasty, murdered my father, deceived my mother, and abandoned me in the cold palace. Today, justice will be served.”

“For the thirteen provinces of Qingchuan, the twenty-four cities of Yingzhou, and the countless soldiers and innocent souls lost… today, your blood shall be their tribute.”

The blade sliced through the air, its lethal arc hidden momentarily by fluttering silk curtains.

The camera panned away,

“Cut! Perfect!” Director Gao stood up, grinning. “That’s a wrap.”

The crew erupted into applause, the atmosphere electric with excitement.

“Amazing, just amazing. ‘One-Take Su’ lives up to her name!”

“Damn, that was intense. I can’t wait to see the final cut!”

“You did wonderfully,” Ruan Mengqing said as she approached with the others. She reached out instinctively, gently tucking a loose strand of Su Yuchen’s hair behind her ear like a doting mother, her smile warm and approving. “The immersion was incredible. You were brilliant.”

For a moment, the crimson-robed Empress Dowager seemed to transcend time, tenderly smoothing her daughter Princess Minglu’s hair.

Fingertips brushed softly against silken strands.

The two exchanged a quiet, knowing smile, eyes bright, lips curved in gentle understanding.

“Thank you, Senior Ruan,” Su Yuchen replied. “If you noticed anything I could improve, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”

Ruan Mengqing considered for a moment before answering earnestly, “If I had to nitpick, your martial arts foundation could use a bit more polish. But given that this was a last-minute role, it’s not your fault, you already did exceptionally well. If you take on more period dramas in the future, make sure to study the character’s background and prepare thoroughly.”

She guided Su Yuchen to sit beside her.

What followed was an in-depth discussion, everything from horseback riding and musical performance to tea ceremonies, archery games, embroidery, and incense rituals.

Ruan Mengqing taught with earnest dedication, while Su Yuchen absorbed every detail, even offering her own insights.

Before long, Ruan Mengqing was coaching her on how to synchronize her breathing with her emotions while walking with a sword, how to angle her shoulders relative to the camera, and even demonstrating the movements herself.

Their conversation flowed effortlessly, as if they had known each other for years. The formal titles of “Xiao Su” and “Senior Ruan” soon melted into affectionate nicknames, “sweetheart” and “Mother Empress.”

Ruan Mengqing was well aware that Su Yuchen was the one joining Shen Wu on the dating show and that her own daughter harbored an unhealthy obsession with him.

But the veteran actress couldn’t care less. Instead, she found Su Yuchen refreshingly likable, admiring the young woman’s diligence and sharp intuition.

By the time Su Yuchen left the studio, dusk had settled over the film lot.

Her phone flickered with notifications, company messages, casting calls, and endless work group updates.

Every time her phone vibrated, Su Yuchen’s heart raced. Her fingertips trembled slightly as she opened the social app, only to exit dejectedly.

It wasn’t a message from that person, the one whose tiny red notification dot would send her breath hitching involuntarily.

The most troublesome part was that Liu Ruomeng kept bombarding her with messages.

Dozens, even hundreds, of messages flooded in like a geyser.

“…”

Su Yuchen sighed and moved her finger to mute the notifications.

Peace at last.

But even with notifications muted, she could still see Liu Ruomeng’s chat bubble constantly updating, holding a lively conversation with herself.

Long messages got folded, so all Su Yuchen saw were neat preview lines.

[Sis, I went to this amazing restaurant today.]

[Sis, are you still working? Ugh, my character.]

[Let me treat you to dinner! That stir-fried pork with beans is to die for.]

[Sis, can you repeat that solution you mentioned last time?]

[My brain’s no good, I can’t remember it all [angry][bites]]]

[Oops, I forgot my agent told me to diet, I ate everything.]

Su Yuchen pocketed her phone, her fingertips already icy from the cold.

The night wind was biting, like freezing water seeping into her bones.

The streetlights were now adorned with red lanterns, she hadn’t even noticed when they’d gone up. It suddenly struck her that Lunar New Year was just around the corner.

People always said the holiday spirit was fading, but deep down, everyone still looked forward to it.

Did Shen Wu look forward to it?

Su Yuchen shook her head sharply, scolding herself,

“Why do you care whether a superstar like her celebrates New Year?”

“Just focus on waiting for your bus, Su Yuchen!”

“Like Shen Wu would ever squeeze onto a bus with you.”

The bus swayed as it approached from the distance, its rooftop display scrolling with the message: Jing City Bus Company wishes all citizens a joyful Little New Year and family happiness.

Inside, the atmosphere was warm and festive. The driver had even tied a red scarf over his light-blue collared shirt, a mismatched look that somehow fit perfectly with the cheery music playing in the background.

Su Yuchen boarded and instinctively moved toward the back, stopping in front of the second step where there was a small space to stand while holding onto a pole.

With no seats available, picking the right spot was crucial for the nearly hour-long ride.

“Excuse me, coming through…”

Just before the doors closed, a strangely dressed woman got on. She wore a thick woolen coat, her head completely wrapped in a scarf, and despite the late hour, sported oversized sunglasses and a black mask covering most of her face. A small hat sat atop her head, and her hands were clad in black velvet gloves.

At a glance, her outfit screamed expensive, like some mysterious aristocrat stepping out of a gilded pumpkin carriage straight from the 18th century.

But here, on the last bus of the night, she stuck out like a sore thumb.

She barely made it inside before the driver, who had already lightly pressed the gas, slammed on the brakes, sending everyone lurching forward.

As Su Yuchen struggled to steady herself on the railing, a random joke flashed through her mind, The bus is practically flying, the driver hits the brakes, and suddenly you’re holding three grandpas in your arms.

Thankfully, all she was holding was air.

“Hey, hey! Pay your fare!” the driver barked.

The woman bundled up tightly in layers flinched at the shout, immediately using her small handbag to shield her face as she half-crouched against the railing. With one hand covering her mouth, she whispered something to the bus driver.

“…”

The driver’s booming voice cut through the crowded bus: “What the hell, don’t you know how to pay the fare?!”

“Keep your voice down!” The woman snapped back before quickly shrinking down again, using her bag to hide her face.

Having driven this route for years, the driver had probably seen everything from “Qing dynasty zombies” to worse. Unfazed, he pulled the handbrake and released the clutch. “Fine, guess you didn’t bring cash. Just scan the QR code then, hurry up.”

Through the jostling crowd, it was hard to make out what was happening up front.

But there was something familiar about that voice that piqued Su Yuchen’s curiosity, making her glance up.

All she could catch through the gaps was the woman’s slender silhouette, her elegant frame accentuated by the structured lines of a heavy dark wool coat.

Murmurs rippled through nearby passengers: “Why’s she dressed all in black this late? And that little hat.”

“Not just that, sunglasses, mask, face completely covered, and still hiding behind her bag.”

“So sketchy. Wait, is that coat Louis Vuitton?”

“Isn’t that hat some limited-edition luxury brand commemorative piece?”

“More than that, the scarf alone could feed me for two months!”

“Damn, head-to-toe designer but acting like a thief?”

Her impeccable outfit or perhaps her tall figure that carried the clothes so well drew countless stares.

But the woman seemed unfamiliar with buses, fumbling endlessly with her phone until the driver gave up. She stubbornly pulled out a crisp red 100-yuan bill from her bag, stuffed it into the fare box, and scurried down the aisle still shielding her face with the bag.

Turning slightly, her gaze accidentally met Su Yuchen’s through the sunglasses.

“…!!”

Freezing for a second, she spun around in panic.

Maybe due to the dim bus lighting or her pitch-black shades impairing vision, she smacked straight into a vertical pole. Too embarrassed to make a sound, she just clung to it desperately, back turned to the crowd.

As if to salvage her dignity, she reached up to smooth her hair, only to remember the headscarf. A soft, awkward cough later, she stared fixedly at the ceiling as though it held the secrets of the universe.

“…”

Su Yuchen watched puzzledly, noticing how the woman kept sneaking glances at her from the corner of her eye.

Every time their eyes met, she’d jerk away to inspect imaginary scenery.

Really strange…

Just then, her phone buzzed violently inside her down jacket’s inner pocket.

Flustered, Su Yuchen dug it out and exhaled at the caller ID.

“Oh, it’s you.” Her tone flattened as she spoke to Liu Ruomeng on the line. “What do you want?”

“Wow, cold much? Can’t I call just because?” Liu Ruomeng huffed. “You sounded disappointed it was me. Waiting for someone else’s call?”

“…”

Su Yuchen hesitated before doubling down: “No.”

Liu Ruomeng drew out a knowing “Ooooh~” before dropping the bomb: “Waiting for Shen Wu, huh?”

At the name, Su Yuchen’s ears burned crimson.

Thankfully, the dark bus hid the blush blooming across her earlobes.

“I already said no. If you don’t have anything serious to say, I’m hanging up.”

Probably afraid that Su Yuchen would really hang up, the voice on the other end hurriedly spoke: “Sis, sis, don’t hang up! I just bought two new controllers, come over to my place and play games with me!”

“…”

“I’m not coming over. I have work tomorrow, so I can’t stay up too late gaming.”

“Hmph, acting all high and mighty just because you have work,” Liu Ruomeng started to grumble but abruptly stopped, switching to a whiny tone. “Come on, sis, come keep me company. Or I can come to you! Teach me that livestream thing you mentioned last time, the charity livestream.”

“The one for raising donations for animals, right? Didn’t you say the platform has support policies for that?”

“Sis, you’re so amazing. You know everything.”

Su Yuchen really wanted to say, Isn’t it just because you, Missy, are too lazy to look up information yourself?

In the end, she just pressed a hand to the back of her neck, stretching her tired shoulders with a sigh before replying, “Fine. Send me your address. I’ll come by when I’m free in the next couple of days and help you apply.”

Liu Ruomeng was practically floating with joy on the other end of the line, immediately complying with the request.

Su Yuchen stared at the ended call, zoning out at the WeChat interface for a long time before finally exiting Liu Ruomeng’s chat.

Her fingers scrolled, swiping down for what felt like ages.

Shen Wu’s messages had long been buried under a flood of other chats. It took a while before she finally found Shen Wu’s profile picture.

Su Yuchen stared blankly at it for a long moment before tapping into the chat.

Shen Wu’s last message was from half a month ago.

Wu: [One Yuan says if you’re not back in half an hour, it’s going to pack its own backpack and go out to earn money for cat treats!]

Wu: [Su Yuchen, why are you so slow today? I’m already waiting at the door.]

Wu: [Hurry up! I just risked my life buying you a grilled corn from the roadside. It’s still hot, didn’t you say you wanted some?]

…

So she and Shen Wu had exchanged this many messages. Su Yuchen slowly scrolled through the chat history, her lips unconsciously curving into a faint smile.

Her thoughts were a tangled mess, recalling how Shen Wu had once said with such certainty to Fu Nan: “I forced her. If she didn’t agree, I’d just keep pestering her.”

But… ugh!

Su Yuchen sighed heavily, staring at her phone screen. She was about to put it away when she suddenly felt something lightly bump against the side of her head.

Startled, she turned around just in time to see the woman in sunglasses peering shamelessly at her screen, turning what should have been a sneaky glance into an outright stare.

Now face-to-face (or rather, face-to-sunglasses), Su Yuchen’s lips parted slightly, her eyes widening as she mouthed two words in disbelief.

“It’s you?!”