Pregnant with the Alpha Best Actress's Child - Chapter 24

Sang Zhijiu felt a throbbing pain at her temples.

These books, bearing her own autograph and personal inscriptions, were supposed to belong to the “Senior W” in her phone. How could they possibly appear in Fan Wu’s home? Although she was loath to admit it, the reality was likely that Senior W, who had been coaxing her for so long, was actually that bastard, Fan Wu.

At the thought of this, anger flared in her heart. She turned around, intending to rush to Fan Wu and demand an explanation! But to Sang Zhijiu’s surprise, when she turned, she discovered that the person standing behind her was not the Fan Wu she had imagined.

“Xiao Yu? Why are you here?” Sang Zhijiu asked in astonishment.

Fan Yu’s eyes lit up for a split second before dimming again. “Zhijiu, it really is you. I thought I had recognized you correctly.”

Sang Zhijiu looked at the books on the table, then back at Fan Yu. “Is this not Fan Wu’s residence?”

Fan Yu nodded. Seeing as she could no longer hide her identity, she explained, “Zhijiu, I didn’t tell you before, but Fan Wu is actually my sister, my biological sister! I didn’t want to be treated differently on set, so I asked Sister Mengzhi to help me hide it. I hope you aren’t angry.”

It took Sang Zhijiu a moment to digest this information. Then, she looked at the book on the table. “This book,” she began.

Fan Yu ran forward and pulled the book into her arms. “I’ve been reading it lately; it’s very enlightening. Speaking of which, thank you so much for being willing to write those words for me.”

Sang Zhijiu froze for two seconds. Once she reacted, she shook her head. “No, there’s no need to thank me.”

So, these books actually belonged to Fan Yu? Was Fan Yu actually Senior W?

Based on Sang Zhijiu’s previous guesses about Senior W, she had always felt the person was a seasoned industry veteran. But Fan Yu, in terms of being an insider, did fit the description. With a sister like Fan Wu, Fan Yu might have been well-versed in industry trends for a long time. Furthermore, Fan Yu happened to be her fan, which matched the information Senior W had given during their introduction.

But Fan Yu was young; she didn’t fit the word “seasoned” at all. And if Fan Yu were Senior W, why hadn’t she revealed herself after they had known each other for so long?

The various points of doubt made it impossible for Sang Zhijiu to reach a conclusion. She looked at Fan Yu and couldn’t help but ask, “Fan Yu, so you are Senior W?”

Before she could finish, a voice sounded from behind, interrupting her. “Fan Yu? Why are you back?”

Fan Yu looked at Fan Wu and answered obediently, “It wasn’t much fun since you didn’t come with me. So I ended the trip early and asked Sister Mengzhi to send me back.”

Seeing the book in Fan Yu’s arms, alarm bells also rang in Fan Wu’s mind. But she acted as if nothing had happened, placing the prepared drinks on the table. “I see. Zhijiu and I need to go to the photography room on the third floor to practice some scenes.”

Fan Yu nodded. She was still feeling dejected over Sang Zhijiu’s inability to accept an Omega as a partner, so she didn’t particularly want to see her. Using the exit Fan Wu provided, she bid them both goodbye. “Then I won’t disturb you. Work is important. Sister, Zhijiu, I’ll leave you to it.”

Fan Wu nodded, and Fan Yu gathered her things, running upstairs with a series of quick thumps. Sang Zhijiu had a stomach full of questions that remained unanswered, but she could only watch helplessly as Fan Yu left.

Fan Wu took the initiative to break the silence. “What’s wrong? Are you surprised to find out Fan Yu is my sister?”

Sang Zhijiu withdrew her gaze. “It’s not really that.” She carefully observed Fan Wu’s expression and tested the waters. “That book in Fan Yu’s arms is quite rare.”

Fan Wu’s performance was nearly flawless. “Is it? She studied abroad and sometimes enjoys reading books that even I can’t understand.”

Sang Zhijiu frowned. “Is that so?”

Fan Wu asked, “Do you want to rest a bit longer? If there’s nothing else, let’s go upstairs.”

Practicing was the priority, so Sang Zhijiu pushed her doubts to the back of her mind for now and nodded. “Okay, let’s go.”

Fan Wu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the prepared drinks and fruit, and led Sang Zhijiu upstairs. The rehearsal didn’t conclude until dusk. Sang Zhijiu declined the sisters’ dinner invitation and insisted on returning to her own apartment.

After taking a shower to wash away the day’s fatigue, she lay in bed, dazing off as she scrolled through her chat history with Senior W. She currently had two theories. If Senior W was Fan Yu, then based on Fan Yu’s attitude today, she clearly didn’t want to be identified. For whatever reason, Sang Zhijiu felt she should respect that choice and couldn’t abruptly confront her.

But what if Fan Yu wasn’t Senior W? Although the books belonged to Senior W, they could easily have been given as a gift or even sold. Autographed celebrity items can fetch a decent price, and such transactions are common in the entertainment industry. How Senior W handled those books was their own business, making it even harder for her to disturb them.

Considering Fan Yu’s background, status, age, and her behavior that afternoon, Sang Zhijiu leaned toward the second theory: it was impossible for Fan Yu to be her Senior W!

With that in mind, she exited the SMS interface and found Fan Yu’s contact card in her messaging app. “Wouldn’t everything be clear if I just asked Fan Yu directly about the book’s origin? Should I ask?”

After hesitating in front of the screen for a long time, Sang Zhijiu ultimately abandoned the idea. She rubbed her cheeks and muttered to herself, “Forget it, forget it. This is a critical time for filming; I shouldn’t think about these random things. If I find out something now, won’t I be the one affected? I’ll wait until the wrap-up! Once we finish filming, I will definitely find out Senior W’s identity!”

Having made her decision, Sang Zhijiu breathed a sigh of relief. Being straightforward by nature, once she decided not to think about it, she let go of her worries, happily put down her phone, and went into the bathroom to apply her newly bought sleeping mask. After completing her skincare routine, she even took a moment to praise herself: “Tsk, tsk, look at this skin. It looks so good even without makeup!”

She twirled in front of the mirror, admiring her own beauty, when her eyes suddenly fixed on her midsection. The next second, she touched her waist. “Have I gotten a bit fat lately? My belly seems to be bulging a little.”

She grew more confused the more she thought about it. “That shouldn’t be right. Usually, when I lose my appetite in the summer, I lose a lot of weight. Has my diet been unhealthy lately?” She held her forehead, recalling her recent habits, but finding no major issues, she gave up in frustration. “Sleep early, sleep early. Early to bed and early to rise keeps the figure good!”

With that thought, she dived into her blankets and hypnotized herself into a dreamless sleep.

The next day, vacation ended, and the crew returned to the filming location. With the previous experience as a foundation, the second phase of filming went particularly smoothly. Fan Yu still served as a production assistant, but unlike before, she seemed much more professional. She no longer only accepted tasks related to Sang Zhijiu, nor did she hang around her every free moment.

Lin Jiahe even gossiped with Sang Zhijiu in private. “Did that girl Xiao Yu stop being your fan? Why hasn’t she come to have lunch with us during the break lately?”

Sang Zhijiu was stunned for a moment and replied perfunctorily, “Well, maybe her work tasks are different now, so it’s not convenient for her to come over. Wasn’t she fine when we saw her yesterday?”

Lin Jiahe nodded. “True.” But she was sharp. “I just feel like she isn’t as enthusiastic toward you as before.”

The corners of Sang Zhijiu’s mouth twitched into a stiff smile. “Isn’t that a good thing?” Every time she encountered Fan Yu, she couldn’t help but think of those books. Now that Fan Yu wasn’t proactively approaching her, she could breathe a bit easier.

As time passed, the filming reached its most important part. Today, Sang Zhijiu and Fan Wu were to have a kissing scene. The plot had reached its climax where Chen Yue and Mu Yining opened their hearts to each other and entered a period of passionate love. In the lounge behind the bar, Chen Yue sees Mu Yining resting with her eyes closed. Thinking she is asleep, she leans in to steal a kiss. Unexpectedly, Mu Yining isn’t actually asleep. When the kiss is discovered, Mu Yining stands up, proactively pulls Chen Yue close, and deepens the kiss.

To create an ambiguous atmosphere, Fan Wu specifically cleared the set, leaving only essential people outside the lounge. Despite this, Sang Zhijiu still had several “NG” takes during the scene where Chen Yue steals the kiss.

When Fan Wu confirmed for the fifth time that the footage was unusable, she looked up and said helplessly to Sang Zhijiu, “You aren’t doing this on purpose just to kiss me a few more times, are you?”

Sang Zhijiu’s face instantly turned red. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Fan Wu said, “Things were fine a few days ago. Why are you so nervous about this stolen kiss today?”

The assistant director chimed in from the side, “It doesn’t feel like you’re just stealing a kiss; it feels like you’re planning to steal all of Mu Yining’s money and leave her homeless on the streets.”

This remark drew good-natured laughter from those around them. Sang Zhijiu took a few deep breaths and clenched her fists. “I might just be too nervous.” She didn’t know what she was doing either. In short, looking at Fan Wu’s face, defenseless and resting on the table, she would start to fall out of character and forget her identity as Chen Yue. At that moment, she felt she wasn’t kissing Mu Yining, but Fan Wu.

However, in the drama, Chen Yue and Mu Yining had already confessed their feelings, but she and Fan Wu… what was this? Because of this, she couldn’t help but show extreme nervousness. Fan Wu’s scent and Fan Wu’s lips felt like a sort of taboo to her.

Fan Wu noticed her emotions and sighed. She called out to the group, “Stop laughing.” The surroundings fell silent again. Fan Wu thought for a moment and said, “Let’s do this. Let’s not film the stolen kiss for now. Let’s move up the scene where Mu Yining discovers the kiss and takes the initiative to kiss back.”

The assistant director respected her and didn’t ask why. He nodded immediately and began directing the camera crew to adjust positions for the next shot. Fan Wu came to Sang Zhijiu’s side and briefly confirmed her standing position and orientation. Taking advantage of this time, Sang Zhijiu felt a bit guilty and whispered, “Is it bad to disrupt the filming sequence? Actually, if you give me another chance, I can film the stolen kiss properly.”

Fan Wu couldn’t help but rub her hair. “It’s fine.” She leaned into Sang Zhijiu’s ear and whispered, “It’s okay if you don’t know how to kiss me. I’ll just teach you.”

Upon hearing this, Sang Zhijiu’s already flushed cheeks suddenly felt like they were on fire.

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