Pretending to Be a Submissive O: My Fiancee Is a Little Pup - Chapter 13

“You, what are you thinking?” Ji Yaran couldn’t help but laugh, reaching out to tap her forehead. “Don’t say it like you’re jealous.”

She really wondered if her understanding of Omegas was too lacking. Was flirting a skill Omegas were born with?

“Sister, I am jealous,” Song Qingxue said stubbornly. “Sister is so beautiful, I don’t like others looking at her at all.”

She paused, then added.

“I wish Sister belonged only to me.”

Her words were full of possessiveness, even carrying a hint of grievance and envy, much like an Alpha marking their territory over an Omega. However, at this moment, hearing these words from an Omega to a Beta made it seem somewhat comical.

Ji Yaran froze for a few seconds, then burst out laughing.

“You really are a little rascal.”

The moment her voice fell, there was a sudden commotion nearby.

It turned out that Xiao Rongrong and Xue Yan had arrived.

Xiao Rongrong leaned on Xue Yan’s arm, her white dress perfectly matching his attire. The two whispered to each other from time to time, looking every bit like a couple in a passionate relationship.

Seeing Ji Yaran, Xiao Rongrong’s expression stiffened, and a flash of jealousy crossed her eyes, yet surprisingly, she didn’t say a single sarcastic word.

Despite her usual arrogant demeanor, she was unusually restrained today, clearly giving face to Xue Yan.

Xue Yan noticed Ji Yaran as well. His gaze swept over her, and he couldn’t help but narrow his eyes, rubbing his chin with a thumb as an ambiguous smile played on his lips.

“Brother Yan…” Xiao Rongrong called out dissatisfiedly, clearly unhappy that he was staring at Ji Yaran.

“What is it, baby?” Xue Yan comforted her practicedly, but his eyes never left Ji Yaran, occasionally glancing toward her chest.

Xiao Rongrong couldn’t help but tug at him, stamping her foot. “What are you looking at!”

Xue Yan patted her hand, coaxing her. “Looking at you, of course…”

With a “click,” the door to the neighboring dressing room opened, and Tang Rui emerged after changing. The ballet costume outlined her slender and graceful figure, making her look like a Black Princess emerging from a cocoon, possessing a blend of cold pride and fragility that made everyone present stare.

Compared to Xiao Rongrong, Tang Rui appeared much more composed.

She maintained her usual icy attitude, showing no intention of getting close to anyone. Only when she passed Song Qingxue, who was standing beside Ji Yaran, did her pace falter slightly.

In the moment their gazes met, Song Qingxue gave her a gentle smile, causing Tang Rui’s brow to furrow.

“Teacher Tang, morning,” Ji Yaran greeted her.

“Mhm,” Tang Rui responded lukewarmly, quickly withdrawing her gaze as she passed them and headed toward the makeup room.

Inside the makeup room, Ji Yaran sat beside Tang Rui, while Xiao Rongrong and other members of the ballet troupe sat to her right.

Because they were so close, she occasionally caught the faint scent of roses from Tang Rui, the dominant pheromone of an Alpha.

Tang Rui was breathtakingly beautiful with skin as fair as frost. She was young, and even without makeup, her beauty was soul-stirring. Her figure was top-tier and enchanting, like a natural temptress, every frown or smile capable of swaying one’s heart.

Tang Rui didn’t like talking to strangers, and Ji Yaran had no intention of forced small talk, so the atmosphere became somewhat frozen.

That was until Song Qingxue spoke up: “Sister, are you thirsty? Before you put on your lipstick, let me get you a glass of water.”

Ji Yaran gave her a bright smile in the mirror. “That would be helpful, thank you.”

After Song Qingxue left, Tang Rui suddenly spoke from beside her: “You know Song Qingxue?”

Ji Yaran was a bit surprised that she would initiate conversation and answered truthfully, “She’s my assistant.”

“Is that so,” Tang Rui’s voice remained tepid, and she didn’t ask further, as if the question had just been a casual greeting.

Just then, a noisy commotion broke out outside the door.

“Brother Yan, you look so handsome in this outfit.” It was Xiao Rongrong’s voice, her tone clearly flattering.

“Heh, you look very sexy in this too,” Xue Yan had arrived at some point and was now leaning lazily against the doorframe, narrowing his eyes as he appraised Xiao Rongrong’s body, an ambiguous curve touching his lips. “You’ve got everything in the right places, anyone who sees you would want to take a second look.”

“Brother Yan, when did your mouth become so good at compliments? Hearing you speak makes my mood much better.”

“I have something to make you feel even better,” Xue Yan revealed a smug smile. “I’m treating everyone to dinner tonight. Are you coming?”

“Really, Brother Yan?” Xiao Rongrong was surprised.

“Of course. Everyone come along after we wrap up tonight,” Xue Yan narrowed his eyes as he looked toward a certain direction inside the makeup room. “Everyone give me some face. Surely no one is unable to go?”

“I’m not going,” Tang Rui’s voice suddenly rang out, cold and sharp, causing the air temperature to drop a few degrees.

“Sister Tang, come and join the fun,” Xiao Rongrong protested. Tang Rui was the female lead, after all. How could it be right if she was the only one missing from the group dinner?

“I’ve been quite tired lately, so I won’t participate,” Tang Rui maintained her stance.

“Tang Rui, don’t be such a loner,” Xue Yan tilted his chin up. “If even our female lead doesn’t show up, how boring would that be?”

There was a hint of ambiguity in his words, causing Tang Rui to frown.

“Sister Tang, just come with us…” Xiao Rongrong kept wheedling.

Xue Yan wiped the smile from his face and said seriously, “Alright, enough with the excuses. Director Zhao is coming tonight, and people from the production side will be there too. You can’t just refuse to give them face.”

Having said that, he gestured with his chin toward Xiao Rongrong.

Xiao Rongrong understood immediately, winking at him and mouthing for him not to worry.

After Xue Yan left, Xiao Rongrong privately persuaded Tang Rui, saying, “Sister Tang, Brother Yan means well, he doesn’t want you to offend people. It’s just a dinner, it won’t take much time. Besides, so many of us are going, just think of it as joining the crowd.”

Since Xue Yan had brought up the director and the production side, and with Xiao Rongrong helping from the side, even Tang Rui found it difficult to keep refusing, though it was impossible for her to give Xue Yan a warm expression.

Tang Rui kept a cold face throughout the day’s filming. Anyone could see she was in a bad mood, yet her acting skills were so refined that her mood didn’t affect her performance at all. she switched between on-camera and off-camera states effortlessly. Even if her attitude was a bit arrogant, no one could find fault with her.

An actor, in the end, must conquer others with their strength.

In contrast, Xiao Rongrong, who debuted around the same time as Tang Rui and was the second most experienced actor on set, was constantly out of form. She couldn’t even compare to Ji Yaran, the rumored “pretty vase,” to the point that Zhao Qingyan lost her temper with her several times.

After another failed take, Zhao Qingyan scolded dissatisfiedly, “Xiao Rongrong, if you don’t want to act, then don’t. We’ll swap Yaran in for the next scene.”

“I’m sorry, Director Zhao, I’ll adjust…” Facing Zhao Qingyan, no matter how high Xiao Rongrong’s pride was, she didn’t dare utter a single complaint.

“Look at Tang Rui and Yaran, they don’t hold back at all when filming. Watch and learn from them when they perform later.”

“I understand, Director Zhao…” Xiao Rongrong pursed her lips and promised playfully, though her heart remained defiant.

Tang Rui was one thing, but that Ji Yaran had only received a few compliments from the director. Who in the industry didn’t know she ruined everything she acted in? She didn’t believe Ji Yaran could salvage her reputation with this one drama.

However, the crew members and prop masters present could all see that the gap between Ji Yaran and Xiao Rongrong’s acting was as wide as heaven and earth.

Xiao Rongrong’s acting was superficial, while she had basic skills to lean on, her performance was devoid of emotion. Ji Yaran’s performance, however, merged with the character, making it impossible to tell if she was pouring her emotions into the role or letting the role consume her emotions.

Though both were only playing supporting roles, the results were vastly different, leading people to remark: Ji Yaran isn’t nearly as bad as the rumors on the internet say!

“Yaran, for the upcoming dance scene, you and Xiao Rongrong swap positions.” Zhao Qingyan’s words made everyone present gasp.

Although Xiao Rongrong’s character wasn’t likable, she was the most senior member of the dance troupe. In the few group performance scenes, her position had always been right next to Tang Rui’s character, Shu Tong. It was essentially her only “highlight” moment, yet now, due to poor performance, it was being given to Ji Yaran.

“Understood, Director Zhao,” Ji Yaran said.

“Tang Rui, give Yaran some guidance. Since she’s swapping with Xiao Rongrong, a few movements will be different than before. Walk her through it to find the rhythm.”

“Okay.”

Tang Rui had graduated with a degree in dance, had undergone a long period of specialized training before filming, and was one of the choreographers for the show, so she knew every movement for everyone in the troupe like the back of her hand.

Ji Yaran already had a foundation in dance, so she learned quickly. She basically mastered the sequence after seeing Tang Rui demonstrate it once.

“Yes, just like that. Just perform it like this when we film. When you turn your head, make eye contact with me, your gaze can be even sharper than before.”

“Okay, let me practice it with you one more time.”

This was Ji Yaran’s first close contact with Tang Rui.

She felt that Tang Rui was nowhere near as difficult to get along with as she had imagined.

After wrapping up for the evening, the crew followed Xue Yan’s invitation to a nearby hotel for dinner.

Drinking was inevitable at such gatherings, so only a few people drove.

Originally, Song Qingxue wanted to tag along, but since this was an internal crew dinner, it wasn’t convenient to bring an assistant. Thus, Ji Yaran sent Song Qingxue home early. Before leaving, Song Qingxue repeatedly warned her not to drink, and only after hearing her promise did she obediently take a taxi home.

Xue Yan had booked a private room and invited all the actors from the ballet troupe, along with a few other actors she didn’t recognize. However, an hour passed and no one from outside the crew showed up.

“Didn’t he say people from the production side were coming?” A young girl in her early twenties leaned in to ask Ji Yaran, clearly confused about the situation.

The girl’s name was Meng Yike, another actor in the ballet troupe. Though she didn’t have many scenes, she was cheerful, had a great attitude, and danced quite well.

“Who knows?” Ji Yaran said, though she suspected in her heart that Xue Yan had likely lied just to get people to show up. After all, even Zhao Qingyan hadn’t come tonight.

Xue Yan sat between Xiao Rongrong and Tang Rui, laughing and playing around with Xiao Rongrong. The atmosphere between them was suggestive and out of place with the rest of the group.

Tang Rui sat alone drinking soda. Although Xue Yan occasionally turned to speak with her, she rarely responded.

Halfway through the dinner, Tang Rui likely realized Xue Yan’s lie. She set down her glass and stood up, showing no regard for Xue Yan’s pride: “I’m feeling a bit dizzy, I’m going back to rest.”

With that, she picked up her blazer from the back of the chair and draped it over her shoulders. Just as her fingers touched the doorknob, Xue Yan rose and walked toward her, pinning her hand down.

Tang Rui’s hand faltered. Her brows knit together and a flash of disgust crossed her eyes. She tried to shake off his hand, but found the grip incredibly strong.

Xue Yan looked back at Xiao Rongrong’s seat. “Tang Rui, let me walk you back. Rongrong was just about to head back too.”

Tang Rui declined coldly, “No need, I”

She was interrupted by Xiao Rongrong before she could finish.

“Sister Tang, don’t refuse. We’re all going back to the hotel anyway. It’s not safe for you to take a taxi alone at night, just come in Brother Yan’s car.”

Without waiting for Tang Rui to agree, Xue Yan turned back to the others. “I’ll drop Rongrong and Tang Rui off at the hotel first and be back in a bit.”

With that, he pushed Tang Rui out of the private room.

Meng Yike whispered worriedly to Ji Yaran, “Sister Yaran, Sister Tang will be okay, right? She looked so upset just now.”

Ji Yaran watched the three departing figures, her expression gradually becoming solemn. For some reason, a bad omen began to stir in her heart.

No, she had to follow them and see.

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