The Movie Queen And Her Rival Just Went Public! - Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Lunch at a star-rated hotel is simply a more refined version of typical hotel fare; the taste remains largely the same.

As both of them needed to appear on camera, they couldn’t eat food that was too greasy or heavy. Shen Luoyan ordered sirloin steaks paired with a fruit and vegetable salad, and specially called for a dessert of papaya stewed with snow fungus for Su Cancan.

Not long after they finished their meal in quiet companionship, the assistants and stylists from their respective teams arrived to help with their hair and makeup.

Liu Yimin had been frazzled lately, overwhelmed by company affairs. That old man Qian Weiyi had finally remembered that Su Cancan’s management contract was about to expire. Seemingly sensing her lack of intent to renew, he had recently piled on a mountain of tasks, attempting to bog her down with work—and Liu Yimin, as her manager, was the one responsible for the initial screening.

“I’m going stir-crazy. I finally found an excuse to come out and catch my breath. If I keep working like this for two more days, I’ll end up in the news for a breakdown.”

It was a sea-view room with the vast ocean just outside the window. As Liu Yimin spoke, she pressed her forehead against the glass, looking down at the ant-sized figures on the shore and sighing repeatedly.

The makeup artist was a new hire for the studio, paid directly by Su Cancan. Knowing the “big boss” (Cancan) was right there, the artist wouldn’t dare snitch to Qian Weiyi, so the two women didn’t hold back much, speaking their minds freely.

Su Cancan kept her eyes closed, only her lips moving: “Endure it. Accept script collaborations as normal. Sign what can be finished within the contract period, and set aside what can’t. Projects are a two-way choice. If the partners are willing to wait, we won’t slack off. If they can’t, there’s nothing we can do, but we can’t state the reason explicitly.”

Liu Yimin turned around to lean against the glass, sounding drained. “I know.”

Su Cancan felt for her. “Will a raise soothe your wounded soul?”

It was a mutual appreciation between fellow workers. Although Su Cancan earned a lot, as long as she was tied to the company, she was just a well-packaged commodity. Her autonomy was low and her restrictions high. To take control, she had to set up her own shop, which she couldn’t do alone. After working together this long, she was certain Liu Yimin was an excellent teammate.

Liu Yimin glanced at the makeup artist applying foundation. “No need. It’s part of the job.”

Su Cancan rubbed her fingertips together. “Mm. Let’s push through this, and I’ll increase everyone’s year-end bonus.”

The brush sweeping across her face clearly grew heavier for a moment. Su Cancan rolled her eyes behind her lids; the message had been received.

Without naming names, Su Cancan continued, “How many days are left for the Nian Qing dubbing? After it’s over, I want to go home and spend time with my grandparents.”

Liu Yimin rubbed her brow. “Three or four days, I don’t recall exactly. I’ll check and tell you later.”

“Oh, right. On the 9th, the first episode of FOR U goes live. You and Shen Luoyan have to do a joint livestream. How is your relationship now? It won’t be too awkward, will it?”

The base makeup was done. Su Cancan opened her eyes to speak, but the makeup artist said with a hint of flustered politeness, “Sister Cancan, should I step out for a moment?”

Su Cancan looked at her through the mirror. “No need. Carry on.”

The artist nodded. “Alright.”

Su Cancan watched her reflection as the artist hurriedly rummaged through the makeup bag, a slight smirk playing on her lips. Content that people want to know will find a way to be overheard even if they leave the room; information you want to spread is easily disseminated through such “leaks.”

She said lazily, “Our relationship is fantastic. If it develops any further, she’s about to become my most ‘soul-level’ friend in the industry.”

Liu Yimin rolled her eyes. “Let’s hope so.”

Su Cancan laughed. “Don’t believe me?”

“I believe you. Just don’t forget the losses you’ve taken and the wounds you’ve suffered before.”

The curve of Su Cancan’s lips remained, but the mirth in her eyes slowly faded. She didn’t say another word until the makeup was finished.

The production team had one—and only one—requirement for this recording: Swimsuits.

Su Cancan had no intention of using her body to grab attention. Considering there might be intense physical movement in the CP battles, she chose a one-piece swimsuit. Worried about the sun, she sprayed half a bottle of sunscreen on herself before heading out, wrapped in a thin sarong.

The crew required everyone to gather at the beach bathhouse at 3:00 PM sharp. At 2:45, she and Shen Luoyan arrived simultaneously.

The staff weren’t surprised to see the roommates arrive together, but when Su Cancan and Shen Luoyan shed their outer layers, several camera operators—even those not assigned to them—immediately swung their lenses toward them.

Su Cancan’s swimsuit featured a V-neck design, revealing her elegant collarbones and long, slender legs. The rose-gold color made her already fair skin look exceptionally regal. As the cameras panned up and down, it was impossible to ignore her bold red lips, which stood in slight contrast to the outfit but somehow looked perfectly right.

Beside her, Shen Luoyan wore a nearly identical style of one-piece, though the bottom was cut into shorts. The gentle avocado green against her cool-toned skin neutralized her usual aloofness, adding a touch of softness.

One was as intense as fire; the other as calm as water. With the two beauties in the same frame, the “CP vibe” was practically bubbling over.

“Sister Cancan!”

With a shout, two more couples entered the frame.

Leading the pack were Youyou and Zhouzhou. Youyou was dressed in a blue-and-white Japanese-style swimsuit, radiating youthful vitality with every hop. Zhouzhou wore a matching set, full of energy.

Xia Yue and Cheng Lewei followed behind. Ever since the beginning, the two preferred not to stand out; they chose athletic-style one-pieces. In the frame, they weren’t overly affectionate but walked side-by-side, chatting softly about the seaside scenery.

A familiar scene: six people waiting for two.

At five past three, just as the staff were about to call the missing pair, Viky and Miky finally strolled in, taking their sweet time.

“Good afternoon, everyone!” Viky smiled brightly, as if she weren’t the one making a large group of people wait in the scorching sun. “Has it started? Where do we stand?”

Su Cancan crossed her arms. Mindful of the cameras, she suppressed her anger, merely staring coldly as Viky played cute.

Amidst her annoyance, Viky’s swimsuit caught her attention. Strange. For someone who loves showing off her body, she’s willing to wrap her upper half so tightly that not an inch of skin is showing?

Su Cancan raised an eyebrow, scanning Viky’s expression, then accidentally glanced at Miky. Their eyes met, and Su Cancan felt a surge of nausea. If she remembered correctly, this was a “Couple’s Experience” show. Her partner was Shen Luoyan, not this Miky, who was currently staring at her with such naked, heated, and greasy eyes.

She rarely used the word “greasy” to describe a woman, but Su Cancan couldn’t help but roll her eyes and look down at the sand.

“Viky, you guys…” “Miss Niu.”

The staff member was about to assign positions when Shen Luoyan spoke up.

The sudden name caused most of the people on set to look confused. As everyone looked around for this “Miss Niu,” Youyou whispered at the lowest volume, “Who is Miss Niu?”

Though Youyou spoke softly, everyone was gathered closely, so many heard her.

“Miss Niu is Viky,” Su Cancan replied instinctively. “Didn’t you know her original name?”

Before recording, Zhouzhou had only thought about “shipping” CPs on-site and hadn’t done deep research on the other artists. Since filming began, she hadn’t interacted much with this pair, and given Viky’s deliberate efforts to hide her past, it was normal not to know.

Su Cancan spoke without thinking, but Viky’s face turned several shades paler, and she began to tremble slightly. She swallowed hard, her throat tight, and faced Shen Luoyan. “Sister Luoyan, what is it?”

“Nothing.” Shen Luoyan gave a light cough, her gaze moving past Viky to the ground behind her. “Your card fell on the sand.”

Viky let out a long breath of relief. She didn’t even have the energy to put on her usual artificial voice: “Th-thank you.” She crouched down clumsily, fumbling several times before picking up the card.

Since there was a time limit on the beach rental and the sun would soon set—requiring heavy lighting equipment if they ran late—the staff interrupted them. “Teachers, if there are no other needs, shall we officially begin today’s shoot?”

“No needs.” “We can start.”

The group gave their affirmations. Everyone seemed relaxed, except for Viky, who was maintaining a stiff, awkward smile.

But no one cared. The clapperboard snapped, and recording began.

“Welcome everyone to our beautiful coastal city, Tianhai. Today, we will be at the beach…”

As usual for outdoor activities, the staff randomly selected a guest to act as the temporary host to explain the rules. For some reason, Su Cancan was chosen as today’s substitute host.

Having worked hard in the industry for years, she had attended her fair share of shows. When the cue cards were handed to her, she began reading with poise.

The cards first detailed the grand prize. The production team, fearing that constant competition might dampen the guests’ enthusiasm, had planned a foreign trip for the final winning couple. The entire trip would be recorded to create a private video memory just for the two of them.

Su Cancan’s expression didn’t change much as she read. Privately, she didn’t want to be the winner. She and Shen Luoyan already lived their lives under the lens; a trip like that would feel more like work than a vacation.

Youyou, on the other hand, was thrilled. Kids her age loved to travel, and a free international trip was a big incentive. Xia Yue also showed a rare interest, whispering with Cheng Lewei. She didn’t care where they went, but the idea of a “private memory” was undeniably appealing.

The camera panned around, finally landing on Viky. Viky had recovered from her embarrassment, though her dark expression was hard to read. Then again, how hard could it be to guess? She likely wanted to win the game, go on the trip, use her connections to make the footage look good, and attract a wave of “CP fans” to boost her endorsements.

Su Cancan tried to control the scene. “Now that the grand prize has been introduced, please focus! I’m going to introduce the rules!” She slid the top card up with her thumb to reveal the next one.

There were three games planned for the day.

“The first game: The Embrace of Love. The four couples will compete separately. Within three minutes of the whistle, one partner must pick up the other and perform deep squats while answering questions. At the end of the time, points will be awarded—8, 6, 4, and 2—based on the number of correct answers.”

“Note: Think carefully! The answers aren’t that simple~”

After reading the rules, Su Cancan glanced at Shen Luoyan and shook her head. We’ll probably be the ones at the bottom of the list, so no need to be polite.

After a brief discussion on the holding positions—who would carry and who would answer—the staff led them to their positions. Since it was a Q&A session requiring judgment, each group was assigned a camera and a staff member whose face was covered to assist.

“Are you all ready to work hard for love?”

The floor manager with the megaphone tried to pump up the energy, and under the scorching sun, the response was equally enthusiastic.

Tweet—tweet!

The long whistle sounded. The four couples immediately moved to pick up their partners.

“What was the date of your first meeting?”

Youyou was being carried bridal-style, leaning against Zhouzhou’s shoulder. Zhouzhou was young and hadn’t done much systematic training; holding her girlfriend was a bit of a struggle, but she answered instantly.

“October 1st, 2020!” “October 2020!”

Youyou, worried about Zhouzhou, rushed to answer as well. Seeing that their answers matched, they shared a smile. The staff member in front of them clapped while flipping the card. “Congratulations, correct.”

The crew had created specific “question banks” for each couple with some overlap. Questions asked of one couple might appear for another, though for some, the answers weren’t as unified.

“2017…” “2018…”

Viky and Miky spoke one after the other, but unfortunately, they couldn’t even agree on the year. Miky frowned, her annoyance at doing squats in the sun already written all over her face.

“Uh, hahaha, we met on New Year’s Eve~” Viky laughed awkwardly, covering her mouth with one hand. The staff member looked at the small print—it clearly said December 23, 2017. Three imaginary black lines of awkwardness appeared on the staff’s forehead.

The Q&A continued intensely.

Su Cancan and Shen Luoyan also chose the bridal-style carry. Su Cancan’s arms were around Shen Luoyan’s shoulders, while Shen Luoyan had one hand on her waist and the other supporting her knees.

Despite Shen Luoyan’s slender frame, every squat was perfectly steady. Su Cancan didn’t feel any wobbling at all.

“What were the names of your respective first roles?”

“Mine was Qin Shuangshuang! Teacher Shen’s was He Chaoyang! He Chaoyang from the drama Chaoyang!”