The Aloof Film Queen Gets Entangled by a Sweet Little Omega - Chapter 19

Sister, You Are a Coward

“Ma’am, our restaurant doesn’t offer that kind of service~”

Ming Qing, sporting sharp, winged eyeliner, rolled her eyes so hard they nearly disappeared into her head. Her tone was disdainful, and her attitude was utterly atrocious.

“Exactly, exactly,” Shi Rui chimed in from behind, acting like a total sycophant.

Qi Ran was clearly biased; she had given Ming Qing a role with plenty of dialogue and screen time, whereas Shi Rui’s role was just thrown together—she barely had a single clear shot of her face.

Standing opposite them was the drama’s lead actress, Xiang Yang. She was an Alpha and a recently famous influencer. Her character in the show was a “bitter melon”—poor but resilient—similar to the “little sunshine” persona she maintained online. Even though she was currently red-eyed with rage from Ming Qing’s provocation, she stared back stubbornly, refusing to back down.

Standing next to her was Luo Xiao’s body double, a very professional actress who had been grinding in the industry for years without a big break. For her, being Luo Xiao’s double was like a gift from heaven. After seeing her act, Luo Xiao had tripled her salary and ensured she didn’t have to perform any dangerous scenes.

Xiang Yang, however, was dissatisfied. It had been a huge surprise that their low-budget web drama managed to recruit Luo Xiao. According to the director, Luo Xiao had originally declined, but for some reason, she changed her mind and called him in the middle of the night demanding to sign the contract.

Overnight, the drama became a hit before filming even started. Xiang Yang’s popularity rose along with it, and she began trending on social media. She and her agency immediately came up with a marketing strategy, planning a trending topic: #LuoXiaoJoinsWebDramaForXiangYang, aiming to frame herself as Luo Xiao’s rumored girlfriend.

She didn’t think she was being delusional. She had done her research and confirmed that Luo Xiao agreed to join the very night she heard Xiang Yang was one of the leads. Furthermore, since filming began, Luo Xiao had been exceptionally caring toward her. To Xiang Yang, the intentions were obvious.

Everything was ready. She planned to release the trending topic once the campus scenes were finished, as she had pressured the director into adding several kiss scenes with Luo Xiao. She had been looking forward to it for so long, only for Luo Xiao to suddenly demand a body double?

Could she, Xiang Yang, film a kiss scene with a double?

Absolutely not!

Even a camera-angled fake kiss wasn’t acceptable. Wasn’t that just insulting?

Consequently, Xiang Yang had woken up with a chip on her shoulder. She had been snapping at everyone, including her assistant. Now that filming had started and she saw how beautiful the two “waitresses” opposite her were, her frustration peaked. She was looking for a fight.

“The law stipulates no smoking in public areas. Now that smoking is happening in your shop, shouldn’t you step in and handle it?” Xiang Yang’s tone was aggressive. Everyone on set froze.

That line was originally supposed to be spoken by the body double. Xiang Yang had not only stolen the line but also changed it, switching the calm, composed delivery for an irritable, petulant one.

The double whispered a reminder: “Ms. Xiang, that was my line.”

Xiang Yang glared at her. “Yours? You sure it’s yours? You’re just a double. Even if you say it, your voice will be dubbed over by Ms. Luo in post-production anyway. What right do you have to claim a line?”

The director quickly called “Cut” and stepped in to mediate. The double, left with no choice, apologized to Xiang Yang.

The double was good-natured; she didn’t want to cause trouble or bring negative press to Luo Xiao. She also feared being labeled as someone who became arrogant just because she was backed by a star. She was just a regular Beta trying to make a living and couldn’t afford a confrontation—she might lose her job without even knowing why.

The director was frustrated but said nothing, as Xiang Yang’s agency was an investor. Seeing the double apologize, he announced they would resume filming and gave the double a comforting pat on the shoulder.

Watching this, Shi Rui felt a lump of anger in her throat. She gripped Ming Qing’s hand tightly.

“Alright, everyone ready? Camera rolling. 3, 2, 1… Action!”

As the director spoke, the new take began. Xiang Yang adjusted her expression and said to the waitresses with a fake smile, “Hello, someone is smoking over there. Could you please speak with them and ask them to stop?”

“Ma’am, our restaurant doesn’t offer that kind of service.”

Ming Qing’s tone was noticeably harsher and more dismissive. However, since this was a web drama and she was playing a disposable antagonist, this blunt performance actually worked better to provoke the audience’s emotions. The director was pleased.

Shi Rui, standing behind Ming Qing, nodded vigorously and added fiercely, “Exactly, exactly!”

Xiang Yang sneered, her teeth practically grinding together. She could clearly feel the hostility coming from these two extras, which had started right after the double apologized to her.

However, she wasn’t afraid of two college students doing part-time work.

“The law prohibits smoking in public areas. They are breaking the law in your restaurant, which will surely bring negative publicity. Please speak with your management to see if you can intervene, otherwise, I will have to call the police,” the body double delivered her lines perfectly.

It was Xiang Yang’s turn next, but everyone waited in vain. She stood there motionless, her eyes blank. It wasn’t until the director called “Cut” and asked, “Ms. Xiang, are you feeling unwell?” that she snapped out of it.

A flash of panic crossed her face. She had been daydreaming about how to manufacture the scandal with Luo Xiao and how to deal with the two waitresses, so she hadn’t realized they were mid-scene.

Of course, she wouldn’t admit that, nor would she apologize for her mistake. Instead, she looked for a scapegoat.

She had already bullied the double; doing it again would look bad. The best targets were the two “stupid-looking” waitresses. But the one with more lines looked defiant and hard to provoke. Plus, part-time students don’t rely on this for a career; if they lose this job, they just leave the industry. Xiang Yang was afraid that if she picked a fight with Ming Qing, she might actually get hit.

The other one, however, was different. Just a little rabbit. She was beautiful but looked dazed and slow. She had few lines and little screen time, hiding in the back with a weak voice. She was the perfect scapegoat.

Rabbits are small and tempered; even if they get angry, they don’t fight back.

Having made up her mind, Xiang Yang pointed a finger and turned to the director to complain loudly: “Who hired this extra? She keeps distracting me! I can’t even get into character!”

Hearing this, Shi Rui instinctively looked behind her, only to find no one there. Xiang Yang was pointing directly at her.

She thought for a moment, pointed at herself, and asked with a look of pure confusion: “Are you talking to me?”

“Of course! Who else would it be!” Xiang Yang barked, refusing to let her off the hook.

Shi Rui continued to ask, “So you’re saying that I, an extra with only four words of dialogue and a single shot of my face, managed to distract you so much that you couldn’t get into character?”

“Of course,” Xiang Yang replied, looking her over and trying to find a flaw. However, she found that Shi Rui’s face was nearly perfect, glowing with youthful collagen. This discovery made her lose her temper even more. Pointing at the ears on top of Shi Rui’s head, she snapped, “It’s those ears of yours. They keep twitching back and forth, and it’s driving me crazy.”

The director sighed and said to Shi Rui, “How about this—just hide your ears for a bit.”

Shi Rui let her hands drop and shrugged helplessly. “Fine,” she replied, and then retracted her ears.

“Alright, everyone ready…”

A new round of filming began. But this time, before the body double could even finish her lines, Xiang Yang called a halt again in a fit of irritation. She marched up to Shi Rui and shouted, “What is wrong with you as a supporting character?”

“What did I do?” Shi Rui was genuinely curious. Her ears were hidden; what else could possibly be distracting her?

“Your delivery is dry and lifeless. How am I supposed to react to that?” Xiang Yang demanded righteously.

Ming Qing, with her explosive temper, couldn’t take it anymore. She started rolling up her sleeves but was held back by Shi Rui.

Shi Rui smiled politely. “Ms. Xiang, are you saying that my four-word line lacked emotion, which then affected the body double’s performance, which in turn affected you? Is that it?”

“She didn’t affect me,” the body double interjected quietly. “I was in character just fine, but I keep getting interrupted.”

Hearing this, Xiang Yang shot her a vicious glare before turning back to Shi Rui. “Yes, exactly that.”

Shi Rui nodded, her smile remaining. “Fine. Then I’m sorry. Let’s try it one more time.”

The director felt numb. Had he known it would be like this, he would have just hired two students from a performing arts academy. What was the point of a little extra investment if it resulted in him losing his hair from stress?

However, Xiang Yang was still dissatisfied with the next take. She claimed that after Shi Rui finished her line, she took a step forward, overshadowing Ming Qing and letting half her face enter the frame.

At that point, Shi Rui simply decided to quit. The director had been thinking the same thing, but since the two were recommended by Qi Ran, he couldn’t say it directly. Now that Shi Rui had suggested it herself, he immediately cut the scene down to only one waitress.

Shi Rui exited the set, giving Ming Qing a silent signal: I’ll wait for you outside.

After that, she squatted obediently in a corner to watch.

But this time, before Ming Qing could even finish her line, Xiang Yang had a total meltdown. “Director, can you please make her leave? Just knowing she’s still here in the crew makes my skin crawl. Make her go!”

The director had seen enough. “Ms. Xiang, she isn’t bothering you, is she? There are so many people on set. You used to be able to get into character quickly. Are you just feeling unwell today?”

Even the director felt guilty saying she “used to get into character quickly,” because she had never been in character to begin with. Her acting wasn’t even as good as Ming Qing’s exaggerated performance.

But Xiang Yang wouldn’t budge, insisting that Shi Rui leave. The body double tried to persuade her: “Ms. Xiang, the director is right. You might just be exhausted from back-to-back filming. Why don’t you take a break?”

“Who asked you? Do you even have a say here?” As she spoke, Xiang Yang pushed the double with all her might. Caught off guard, the double fell backward. Her head hit the ground with a sickening thud. She was in too much pain to stand for a long time, and the crew members rushed to help her up.

Seeing this, Ming Qing was furious. She rolled up her sleeves and raised her hand to deliver a slap, but her arm was caught mid-air.

Shi Rui smiled sweetly and said to Ming Qing, “Let me.”

She then stood in front of Xiang Yang. “Apologize to the body double.”

“I should apologize to her?” Xiang Yang found it hilarious. “I barely touched her. It’s her own fault for not standing firm. Besides, for all I know, she fell on purpose to frame me. I heard her family is poor; maybe she’s just trying to extort money.”

Shi Rui didn’t dwell on that point. She knew that even if Xiang Yang apologized, it wouldn’t be sincere. However, she didn’t understand why the woman was so hostile toward them. Curious, she asked, “Are you targeting us?”

“Why would I target you? You’re just a mere rabbit. Is it worth my time to hold a grudge against you? I just have high standards for the set and my fellow actors,” Xiang Yang insisted stubbornly.

“Oh~” Shi Rui nodded, giving a meaningful smile. She then asked, “Then do you know what kind of rabbit I am?”

“Aren’t all rabbits the same?” Xiang Yang showed a look of disdain, clearly looking down on such a timid creature.

Shi Rui’s smile grew even more triumphant. She let her ears pop out and wiggle. “I’m an Angora rabbit,” she announced loudly.

“What’s an Angora rabbit?” Xiang Yang looked blank. Shi Rui ignored her and turned to the director. “Is the camera still recording?”

“Huh?” The director didn’t know what she was up to, but he nodded instinctively. “It’s recording.”

He had actually forgotten to turn it off, but in this situation, it seemed better to keep it running.

“Good,” Shi Rui murmured. She tilted her head and smiled at Xiang Yang. The next second, a fierce “rabbit punch” slammed into Xiang Yang’s face. Everyone present gasped in unison.

Shi Rui delivered a beautiful set of rabbit punches and said proudly, “A Giant Rabbit.”

On the other side, Luo Xiao appeared outside the main dormitory entrance, fully disguised. She figured the little rabbit should be heading to eat around this time, so she wanted to try her luck.

Although she had repeatedly warned herself not to get close to the rabbit, her feet wouldn’t listen.

It was the first time she realized that these five days of separation were more unbearable than those thousand years.

There were many people coming and going, but she didn’t see the little rabbit. After a while, she noticed that the people in front of her were hurrying in one direction.

“There’s a fight involving the film crew today.”

Amidst the crowd, she caught that stray sentence.

Since something had happened on set, Luo Xiao naturally had to go check. She didn’t hesitate to follow the crowd, but before she had gone far, a bell-like laugh rang out from nearby.

“Cowardly Sister, where are you going?”

The voice was very familiar. Luo Xiao stood still, not daring to look back.

She was afraid it was a dream.

Shi Rui stepped forward and grabbed her hand. It was icy cold. She thoughtfully warmed Luo Xiao’s hand with her own, then sniffled and said unhappily: “Big Green Dragon, you are a coward.”

As the words fell, Luo Xiao’s body trembled violently. Her heart felt like a volcanic eruption, melting away the layer of frost.

A thousand years ago, the little rabbit always loved to sleep pillowed on her tail. Every night, she would say: “Big Green Dragon, goodnight~”

Support The Aloof Film Queen Gets Entangled by a Sweet Little Omega