Love Contract with the Queen Actress - Chapter 7

“That supporting actor has been in position for so long, why hasn’t the actress playing the little princess arrived yet?”

“No idea. Su Yuchen has been sitting on that rockery in full makeup for two hours already.”

At the foot of the rockery, two crew members clutched their scripts, fiddling nervously with their phones, their expressions growing increasingly anxious.

This was a highly anticipated period drama set. Su Yuchen had been called in for an impromptu audition and was cast on the spot. Her role now was to replace an actress who had clashed with the lead of Group B, playing a minor court official with few lines.

She had already finished hair and makeup and climbed onto the rockery, waiting for her cue.

Her mind wandered from the script, she had long since memorized her lines, to that night when Shen Wu had scratched her chin, smiling at her as if she were a kitten.

The morning sun had already risen, painting the eastern sky in a lake-blue hue, brushed with strokes of fiery orange like an oil painting.

The distant light seemed to reflect Shen Wu’s image, so far away, yet so close, warming her face with its glow.

A whole week had passed since that night when she’d been treated like a pet.

Though the weather had warmed slightly, the chill still lingered.

Dressed in a purple official’s robe and a black gauze hat, Su Yuchen rested her chin in her hands, gazing at the blazing sunrise before letting out a sigh.

Hearing this, the two crew members below stiffened, exchanging hushed whispers:

“Is she angry?”

“She must be. Definitely angry.”

“Oh no, what do we do? If she walks off, we’ll never find another actress this good on such short notice.”

Su Yuchen shifted, cupping her face in both hands.

A week had gone by. She wondered how One Yuan was doing. Maybe after wrapping today, she could try reaching out to Shen Wu?

Shen Wu’s chat window remained untouched in her phone, still displaying the last message:

[Come to my place tonight.]

A week without contact, was she still upset?

That night, Shen Wu had said, “Let me take care of you.”

Without thinking, Su Yuchen had replied, “I can take care of myself.”

After a long silence, Shen Wu had asked, voice tight with suppressed frustration, something about whether she’d attended summer camp as a child.

But before she could finish, Su Yuchen’s uncle had called, demanding she return home to care for her mother, who had suddenly woken up. Her aunt needed to make soup for her nephew, someone had to watch the stove. They’d only wait an hour.

Shen Wu had silently watched her leave, the little kitten curled cautiously on the sofa, its eyes fixed on her.

Su Yuchen missed that fluffy little creature.

And her thoughts kept drifting back to that night.

She could still remember the warmth of Shen Wu’s fingers, how her skin had tingled where she’d been touched.

Being scratched under the chin wasn’t so bad. Being someone’s kitten was actually kind of nice.

At this thought, Su Yuchen broke into a wide, silly grin at the sunrise.

“Hehe~”

“…”

“Oh no, oh no! She sighed, and now she’s laughing?”

The other whispered back, “That’s definitely a sign of extreme anger!”

“Quick, call again and hurry them up. If she walks off, we’ll never find a replacement this good.”

“I already did! Got scolded by the assistant for bothering them.”

The other groaned, clutching their head in despair.

“Playing a princess and actually thinking you’re one? The legendary actress retired for twenty years, yet she came out of respect for Director Gao to make a cameo as the Empress Dowager. Didn’t she still arrive early to cooperate with the crew in Group A?”

“Exactly. Why are so many actors these days so unprofessional?”

“Well, people are different. Look at Su Yuchen, she’s quite good. I noticed her script is filled with careful notes and annotations all done by herself, unlike those idols who have their assistants do it and then buy hype online.”

“Right. I checked her resume, she’s actually professionally trained.”

“Truly dedicated.”

“And pretty too.”

“Wish she were the lead actress in Group B instead.”

Little did Su Yuchen know that in the brief moment she zoned out, the two below had already spun an entire drama in their heads.

In the distance, the sound of a horn echoed, desolate and lingering, drawing the attention of many.

Su Yuchen also turned her head, glancing toward the set on the other side.

“I heard Group A is filming a grand scene today,” she murmured to herself, resting her chin on her hand.

Her gaze naturally settled on the woman standing atop the high platform, dressed in fiery red robes.

Adorned with jewels and a phoenix crown, she looked down at the assembled courtiers and raised her hands. “Rise, my lords.”

Her presence and aura were unparalleled.

“That must be the legendary actress Ruan Mengqing, invited by the director for the grand finale,” Su Yuchen mused, tilting her head to get a better look.

Why was she so eager to see her? Because this was none other than the mother of Shen Wu’s official fiancée, Fu Mozheng, the legendary actress Ruan Mengqing.

Ruan Mengqing’s legend wasn’t just built on her numerous prestigious international awards and exceptional talent, but also her unwavering principles. She had rescued countless young girls and once fought a high-profile legal battle against a chaebol for women’s rights, winning the case and securing justice for the victims.

At the time, Ruan Mengqing was not only brilliant and stunningly beautiful but also aloof, resilient as reeds, gentle on the outside, unyielding within.

She rejected the advances of many wealthy heirs, only to fall in love with her hardworking, low-paid assistant.

It wasn’t until right before their wedding that she discovered this assistant, who earned a meager 3,800 yuan a month and was five years her junior, was actually the sole heir of the Fu Group, the largest chaebol in the country. He had pretended to be poor to get close to her.

Ruan Mengqing had always been clear about her disdain for the idle rich and their ostentatious wealth. Afraid of her rejection, Fu Zhengliang, during his first meeting with her parents, rented a dilapidated old apartment with a decade left on its lease and personally went to the market to buy groceries and cook for them, all while his parents, worth billions, played along.

When the truth finally came out before the wedding, Fu Zhengliang had to beg for forgiveness, hat in hand. The strong-willed Ruan Mengqing was so furious she called off the wedding once, forcing Fu Zhengliang to chase her to a neighboring country to win her back.

They eventually married in a lavish ceremony on a private island. Over thirty years later, their love remained as strong as ever. After having three sons, they finally welcomed their long-awaited daughter after meticulous care and consultations with countless doctors.

Fu Mozheng’s arrival was nothing short of a miracle. Doted on by her parents and spoiled by her three older brothers, she grew up enveloped in love.

All of this only added to Ruan Mengqing’s legendary status, earning universal admiration, even Su Yuchen had heard of her long before entering the industry.

Although she hadn’t been in the industry for long, Ruan Mengqing, who had since retired remained an illustrious figure.

It was only in recent years that discussions about Shen Wu gradually increased, after all, the freshly crowned Triple-winning award actress was more in tune with the times compared to the retired and married Ruan. Moreover, Shen Wu was undeniably impressive, having secured the three most prestigious domestic awards by the age of 27, a testament to her formidable skills.

“What is Shen Wu… what is Shen Wu doing right now?”

…

“Stop! Don’t run!”

In the Lan Mansion.

Shen Wu lunged and missed, crashing onto the leather sofa as the kitten nimbly dodged, darting away like a bolt of lightning.

“You-you ungrateful little brat!” Shen Wu clutched her chest as she got up, her temples throbbing.

One Yuan peeked out with half its tiny head, one round eye visible as it stared at Shen Wu.

“Come here, time for your lactoferrin!”

Her call only made things worse, the kitten promptly retracted the other half of its head.

“One Yuan, One Yuan, come out, okay? Time for your medicine.”

Tall as she was, Shen Wu now found herself sprawled on the floor, squeezing into the sofa crevices while pitching her voice unnaturally high. “Good baby, sweet baby, my little One Yuan, come out and take your medicine, okay?”

The forced sweetness in her tone made her want to punch herself.

The kitten, likely terrified, burrowed deeper into the sofa.

Shen Wu reached in, trying to grab it, but the kitten dodged again with feline agility.

“Ungrateful brat! Just like your mom, so damn stubborn!” Abandoning all pretense of grace, Shen Wu plopped onto the floor.

She swept her hand through her hair, pushing back the voluminous, slightly tousled waves, a casual style that somehow exuded the vibrant charm of a classic Hong Kong beauty.

But her current demeanor was far from elegant. Fishing her phone from the sofa, she sat cross-legged on the floor, her voice dropping its earlier affectation as she launched into the call,

“Hey? Su Yuchen, tell me, where are you off gallivanting?”

“Huh? Me?” Su Yuchen glanced behind her, jostled by the entourage of the “little princess” actress, and sidled closer to the door. “No, I’m not gallivanting. I’m on set.”

“…”

Shen Wu paused for two seconds. “Got it. What time are you done?”

“We just finished the fake mountain scene,” Su Yuchen answered obediently, cradling the phone. “Should be wrapping up soon.”

“Fine. Wait for me.” Shen Wu’s slender fingers raked through her hair, mussing it further. “I’m coming to pick you up.”

With that, she hung up first.

Su Yuchen opened her mouth in protest, but all she heard was the dial tone.

I didn’t even get to tell her which set I’m at. Does she know where to pick me up?

The doubt lingered until she realized she should call back. But before she could, the cramped room suddenly flooded with crew members.

The space was packed to the brim, a dozen makeup artists and stylists swarming around Liu Ruomeng, the actress playing the little princess.

With barely room to stand, Su Yuchen, a dutiful office worker who believed in clocking out on time, grabbed her official robe and stepped over the threshold.

Though new to the set, she was well-liked, and passing crew members still greeted her warmly.

The assistant director, clutching the script, smiled at Su Yuchen and exchanged polite pleasantries.

“Wrapping up for the day?”

“Yeah, wrapping up.”

“Ready to head back? It’s hard to get a taxi around the Beijing outskirts film set, want me to ask the production team to call one for you?”

“No, no, don’t trouble yourself.” Su Yuchen beamed, waving her hand. “Thank you, but my friend is coming to pick me up soon.”

The thought of Shen Wu coming to get her, Shen Wu, of all people!

Amidst her unease, she couldn’t help but feel genuinely happy.

After bidding farewell to the crew, Su Yuchen gathered her things, took a quick stroll, then headed to the dressing room to remove her makeup and return her costume.

At the moment, the dressing room was cold and deserted, most of the staff had been pulled away to attend to the “little princess.” She removed her makeup herself and went behind the clothing racks to change out of her costume.

Since it was winter, she had her own clothes on underneath, so there was no need for a dedicated changing room.

Today, Su Yuchen took the lazy route and started changing behind the cover of the costumes in the dressing room.

She had just pulled on her sweater and jeans and hadn’t even had a chance to grab her down jacket when the dressing room door was suddenly flung open with a violent shove.

“What’s the big deal? She’s just a washed-up actress, who does she think she is?!”

Liu Ruomeng stormed in, her hair adorned with elaborate hairpins, and hurled her thermos onto the floor with a crash.

The deafening noise made Su Yuchen freeze in place behind the layers of hanging clothes, too afraid to move.

“Calling her an actress is too generous, didn’t she retire after marrying into some rich family? Why is she still out here showing her face? And she had the nerve to criticize my acting in front of everyone!”

“X-Xiao Meng, keep your voice down!” A few assistants hurried in after her, the last one frantically closing the door behind them.

Liu Ruomeng had stormed in with full fury, but the moment she plopped down into a chair, she started wiping away tears. “That woman Ruan Mengqing made me lose face in front of everyone! I even told her I was her daughter’s good friend, and she still humiliated me like this, wuwuwu…”

“I heard Miss Fu Mozheng has returned to the country,” said the male assistant who always held his fingers in an affected manner, quickly stepping forward to pat Liu Ruomeng’s back soothingly. “Xiao Meng, aren’t you having dinner with Miss Fu and the others tonight? We should finish filming quickly so you can wrap up early and make it to dinner. After all, it wasn’t easy securing this meeting with Miss Fu.”

“It’s not just Fu Mozheng, He Yunyun is also… Ugh, that’s not the point!”

Liu Ruomeng shoved him away, her hairpins clattering noisily as she nearly yanked them out in frustration. “That Ruan Mengqing and Director Gao must’ve lost their minds today, they both came to watch my scenes and kept nitpicking everything! They wouldn’t let a single take pass, complaining about my lines one minute and my emotions the next. Will I even be able to leave tonight?!”

“Just because I play her daughter in the show, she thinks she can act like my mother.”

“Fine, then get someone else to play her daughter!”

“Better yet, have her real daughter do it, let’s see if she dares to criticize her then!”

Liu Ruomeng ranted and raved for what felt like ages. Two rounds of crew members came to coax her before she finally deigned to leave the dressing room, dragging her feet back to set with obvious reluctance.

Su Yuchen, still hidden behind the racks of clothes, finally let out a sigh of relief. In the now-silent dressing room, she finished gathering her things and carefully emerged from the maze of clothing racks.

The moment she stepped out, her phone buzzed violently in her hand.

Su Yuchen glanced up to see Shen Wu’s name flashing on the screen.