My Straight Childhood Friend Successfully Pursued Me After The Breakup - Chapter 42.1

The two cousins were just fooling around, but it scared Guan Wen, who sat stiffly on the sofa, afraid to move. Her eyes followed Zuo Xian closely, fearing she would actually start a fight with Liu Xinyu.

Zuo Xian was amused by her expression, squinting and teasing her with an extremely mischievous look.

After chatting for a while, Zuo Xian, noticing the time, decided to return to her room to prepare the things she would need for the next day.

After saying goodbye, she took the elevator alone back to the thirteenth floor.

Zuo Xian was looking down at the message Xiao Yu had sent her. When the elevator door opened, she subconsciously glanced at the person standing by the door and suddenly met those spring-water-like, gentle eyes.

A disastrous connection.

These two words flashed through her mind. After repeated accidental encounters, Zuo Xian’s heart was no longer filled with the panic and helplessness of the first reunion; it was calm, without a ripple.

She walked out of the elevator without looking to the side, and even the remnant smile on her lips vanished completely.

As her nostrils flared, the faint perfume scent on the woman tugged at Zuo Xian’s attention, thread by thread.

Like a gentle rogue, if Zuo Xian wouldn’t look at her, she would find another way to make Zuo Xian “face” her.

Yet, she herself stood there quietly, as if she had completely taken Zuo Xian’s earlier warning to heart and dared not disturb her again.

That had better be the case.

As they brushed past each other, Zuo Xian did not even give Tao Ran a chance for eye contact and walked straight back to her room.

The next day required shooting the actors’ official costume photos. Zuo Xian and the entire studio team got up very early to head to the location. The extended Lincoln limo was still the vehicle picking them up.

The weather was excellent today, with a clear blue sky, so the visibility was superb.

As a result, the lavish extended Lincoln seemed to shine brightly under the sun’s rays, shimmering with an unignorable brilliance that attracted the gaze of every passerby.

The makeup artists, feeling constrained, squeezed into the luxury car, enduring the varied stares of the rest of the crew.

It wasn’t until they were in the car that they all breathed a sigh of relief, no longer shrinking their necks and keeping their heads down like quails, afraid of letting anyone see their faces clearly.

“Boss,” Xiao Yu said to Zuo Xian with a worried face, “How about you talk to Director Xu sometime? This fancy car is enough for you, but the rest of us can take the bus like everyone else.”

Zuo Xian laughed, “Didn’t you all like it yesterday? Are you tired of it already?”

“Liking it is one thing, but it’s a bit too noticeable.”

The other makeup artists nodded in agreement, discussing animatedly how other staff members had come to gossip with them after they arrived at the hotel yesterday.

“I’ll ask Director Xu today,” Zuo Xian stated decisively, finally calming the girls.

Actually, even if Xiao Yu hadn’t mentioned it, Zuo Xian was planning to find Director Xu today.

She was neither an investor nor an actor in the crew, and the transportation arrangement was so unique. Zuo Xian felt no joy in being treated specially; her mind was only filled with the phrase, “Something unusual is afoot.”

Upon arriving at the venue, everyone quickly entered work mode, and Zuo Xian temporarily put the matter aside, thinking it wouldn’t be too late to find Director Xu after work.

The female lead had a separate dressing room. As her makeup artist, Zuo Xian also enjoyed a slice of peace.

Guan Wen’s features and overall aura gave people a sense of aloof beauty, which was her secret weapon on the red carpet. However, for character creation, it was a flaw; being too beautiful could make it harder for the audience to empathize.

What Zuo Xian needed to do was soften Guan Wen’s overly sharp edges, allowing her to better embody the character in the series.

It sounded like simple work, but a small detail could lead to a mile of difference in the effect.

She couldn’t go completely bare-faced, but the makeup couldn’t be too heavy either. She needed to create a sense of fatigue, yet also highlight the resolute righteousness of a public servant.

For Zuo Xian, however, this was not a highly challenging task; she even had the leisure to chat with Guan Wen.

“I was a bit surprised not to see Director Xu at the set today,” Guan Wen said. “She usually stays on set to ensure every scene setup and actor arrangement meets her requirements.”

“Director Xu is quite dedicated,” Zuo Xian replied casually.

“Yes, if she hadn’t gone to meet the investor today, she would definitely be here,” Guan Wen stole a glance at Zuo Xian while the latter turned around.

She added, “Director Xu is also a very good person. She seems a bit rough around the edges, but she’s actually very meticulous and gentle to everyone in the crew.”

Zuo Xian picked up an eyebrow pencil and added a couple of strokes, saying indifferently, “That good, huh?”

“Mhm. And Director Xu is very self-respecting. She…”

“Don’t move.” Zuo Xian held a light-colored lipstick to Guan Wen’s lips, her tone calm.

When Guan Wen quieted down, Zuo Xian glanced at her, “Are you giving up acting to become a matchmaker? Why are you trying to hook me up with Director Xu?”

Guan Wen wasn’t usually so talkative, nor would she usually evaluate a person behind their back, regardless of whether the assessment was positive or negative.

“I…”

“Did Liu Xinyu instigate you?” Zuo Xian put down the lipstick. Although she was asking, her eyes were filled with certainty.

Guan Wen’s eyes flickered for a moment, then she shook her head loyally, “No, Forensic Doctor Liu didn’t instigate me.”

“Even if you don’t admit it, I know. That girl is utterly wicked. I bet she saw you were innocent and deliberately teased you.” Zuo Xian snorted a laugh.

She looked at Guan Wen, whose face showed hesitation, and slandered Liu Xinyu without any guilt, “She secretly got early admission to high school and started preparing for the college entrance exam when she was fourteen. Listen to that, how deeply calculating she is.”

Guan Wen: “?”

Before Guan Wen could reply, a knock sounded on the dressing room door. The director’s assistant rushed in, and seeing Guan Wen there, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Teacher Guan, our producer has arrived. Director Xu wants you to come out and greet her once you’re done with your makeup.”

“The producer is here?” Guan Wen was also stunned. She subconsciously looked at Zuo Xian, her eyes conveying an anxious question.

Zuo Xian: “Immediately, ten minutes.”

“Alright, hurry up then.” The assistant rushed out again.

Even though the producer was still hundreds of meters away, Zuo Xian felt she could already see the assistant’s fawning, obsequious manner in front of the producer. It was a little amusing.

“Why is she acting like an emperor making an inspection tour? Is it necessary to be that exaggerated?”

Unexpectedly, Guan Wen nodded along, “This producer accounts for eighty-five percent of the investment in the crew. We owe her a lot for being able to start filming.”

“Eighty-five percent?!” Zuo Xian was also startled upon hearing this, and her movements quickened, “Then I’ll be faster. We should go out and greet the Empress.”

Yet, even though Zuo Xian wanted to hurry, her professional ethics wouldn’t allow her to do a sloppy job. In the end, despite her best efforts, she was still a little late.

A knock sounded on the door, and Director Xu’s voice was heard.

“Guan Wen, is it convenient for us to come in?”

Director Xu couldn’t possibly leave the producer at this point, so the person standing outside must be the producer who held the key to the crew’s fate.

Even Guan Wen was somewhat overwhelmed; it was always the actor who went to see the producer. There was no precedent for the actor sitting leisurely in the dressing room while the producer and director knocked to request a visit on their first meeting.

Zuo Xian also realized this and quickly put down the unfinished hairstyle, stepping swiftly to open the door, lest Guan Wen get a reputation for being high-and-mighty.

The moment the door opened, before her eyes could even focus, the familiar perfume scent wafted into her nostrils, causing Zuo Xian’s heart to tremble.

The next second, her face darkened uncontrollably.

Why is it Tao Ran again? What the hell.

“Is Guan Wen’s makeup done?”

Director Xu didn’t notice Zuo Xian’s expression. She entered sideways, her gaze seeking out Guan Wen. She walked up to her to scrutinize the makeup and styling.

Zuo Xian and Tao Ran stood facing each other across the doorway, their eyes meeting, but their emotions were entirely different.

Tao Ran didn’t seem surprised by her presence here. She looked at Zuo Xian gently, without much emotion, and acknowledged her with a nod.

Zuo Xian couldn’t force a smile. She stood aside, giving way with a cold face.

After Tao Ran walked into the room, Zuo Xian followed her and mocked in a low voice, “Producer Tao, what a coincidence.”

Tao Ran paused, and also whispered, “Not a coincidence. I knew you were here.”

It felt like punching cotton. Zuo Xian’s surging emotions had nowhere to go. She narrowed her eyes, staring at Tao Ran’s back, unconsciously grinding the soft tissue on the side of her mouth with her teeth.

She resented Tao Ran, but that didn’t mean she wanted revenge.

Perhaps in the ten years after their breakup, she once thought she would definitely take revenge on Tao Ran if she had the chance.

But after the reunion, Zuo Xian clearly knew she didn’t want to take revenge on Tao Ran. She didn’t have the patience to listen to Tao Ran’s regretful apologies, but she also didn’t want to see Tao Ran acting nonchalant towards her.

It was a very contradictory feeling, but there was one highly effective solution:

Simply avoid seeing Tao Ran.

Tao Ran and her resentment should have stayed in her seventeen-year-old self and never resurfaced.

Yet, she repeatedly intruded into her life, constantly provoking her.

How could there be such an annoying woman in the world?

“Zuo Xian, Guan Wen’s makeup is almost done, right?”

Director Xu Juan’s voice called Zuo Xian’s thoughts back. Her gaze shifted from the woman’s slender, upright, bamboo-like back to Xu Juan.

“Almost. Just need a low ponytail and a final setting spray.”

Xu Juan nodded, “Then do it now. Let CEO Tao see the final effect.”

“Now?” Zuo Xian was stunned. The thought of working in front of Tao Ran made her feel indescribably uncomfortable.

Before she could say anything else, Tao Ran’s voice rang out.

“If it’s inconvenient, we can step outside first.”

“It’s not inconvenient at all.” Her mouth moved faster than her brain. Zuo Xian pursed her lips after speaking, but she didn’t feel any regret.

She looked at Tao Ran, the flames in her eyes seeming to declare war. She offered a fake smile, “Since you invited me, you should know that with my skill level, I won’t have performance issues just because someone is standing nearby. Don’t you agree, Producer Tao?”

At this point, how could Zuo Xian not guess whose idea it was to invite her to the crew?

She thought to herself: I knew it. How could Xu Juan, such a stingy person—especially since the makeup requirements for this crew aren’t difficult—be willing to spend money to hire me?

And that extended Lincoln.