The Movie Queen And Her Rival Just Went Public! - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The white shadow in Su Cancan’s glass-like pupils grew larger. In the blink of an eye, the white ball flashed in front of her, wagging its tail and sitting down. She was so flustered that she retreated into the nanny van, looking slightly defeated.

The white dog was extremely well-kept, with long, soft, and fluffy fur. Its thick tail wagged from side to side with an air of absolute flattery. Animals can sense human emotions. Knowing that Su Cancan was a little afraid of it, it sat obediently, showing its wide-grinning smile.

The people around hadn’t had time to react to what happened, but a standoff had already begun between the woman and the dog.

“Why would your owner let you run around like that?”

Su Cancan was utterly convinced that the dog in front of her, the one in her dream, and the one in Shen Luoyan’s profile picture were the same. Even though she hadn’t raised a dog before, she had that premonition.

The big white dog tilted its head for a few seconds when it heard the voice, then turned and signaled to Su Cancan the direction where its owner was. It was very simple-minded; previously, hard-won interaction would result in verbal praise or a small treat. It thought this time would be no exception. Su Cancan didn’t offer anything, so it unceremoniously took two steps forward to demand one.

The friendly dog, completely at ease, naturally blocked the car door, causing Su Cancan to feel a wave of embarrassment.

She wasn’t sure to what extent an animal could understand human language, but the kindness and manners cultivated since childhood prevented her from shooing it away. She edged further inside the car, speaking gently to persuade it: “We’re not close, and I’m very scared of you being so close. If you can understand what I mean, go find your owner or someone to play with, and leave big sister alone.”

Perhaps the tone was too serious. The white dog seemed to understand. Its bright, smiling face drooped, its black lips closed, and the triangular ears on its head drooped powerlessly. Its tail hung low on the grass, exuding an air of sadness.

Su Cancan felt a pang of pity and was reflecting on whether she had been too harsh on a dog when the dog’s owner finally arrived.

“Xueqiu! Come here!”

Upon hearing its owner’s familiar call, the white dog immediately forgot its sadness. It wagged its tail and dashed over without looking back, like a newlywed wife finding her rock and rushing to cuddle.

The sun was bright, and a sudden breeze fluttered through every patch of greenery.

Shen Luoyan, who had come looking for the dog, had already changed into her photoshoot attire—a velvet, strapless evening gown. The form-fitting cut of the dress maximized the display of her figure. The bust was inlaid with a circle of smooth, plump pearls, and the skirt was stitched with thousands of tiny diamonds, which reflected starry points of light as the wind blew.

Su Cancan’s eyes swept over her; the contrast of black and white was pushed to the extreme.

As for her figure, it was even more… than in the dream.

Finding Xueqiu, Shen Luoyan squatted down to lecture it a few times. The little dog couldn’t understand why it was so unpopular today. Its owner scolded it for playing, and the pretty big sister ignored it. Unwanted by both, it sulked, closing its little ears and running away to a corner to feel sorry for itself.

As Shen Luoyan’s gaze followed Xueqiu, she accidentally glimpsed Su Cancan by the nanny van. Su Cancan was looking at her.

Their eyes met. Su Cancan silently lowered her gaze, hiding a hint of a smile that wasn’t quite a smile and a challenge in her eyes. The distance was far, and Su Cancan was standing against the light, making it difficult to discern her expression clearly. Shen Luoyan waved openly in greeting.

The person far away couldn’t see clearly, but Liu Yimin, who was close by, saw everything. Su Cancan was unilaterally creating subtle tension and putting on airs, which couldn’t be allowed.

She temporarily ceased the cold war and said coldly, “Did you forget your manners after one night’s sleep? Do you want to see your name on the hot search tonight, being scolded for being a diva?”

Su Cancan pursed her lips. She was the guilty party now. She reluctantly waved twice and went to find the production team for her styling.

The production team had set up a temporary changing room and makeup area in an open space. The fact that Su Cancan was on time, given her state last night, brought a sigh of relief from everyone. They urged her to change quickly and take advantage of the beautiful daylight to get the promotional photos done.

Su Cancan was naturally beautiful and didn’t need heavy makeup. Simple foundation was applied, with the lightest base and the most minimal lining, and she appeared elegant and exquisite in front of the mirror.

“Teacher Su, please let me know if you feel hot,” the stylist said, heating the curling iron to curl her cascading, beautiful hair, strand by strand.

Su Cancan raised her hand, took out two pairs of sparkling diamond earrings from the jewelry box, and compared them between her fingers.

The stylist noticed her movement and paused: “The two teachers are really in sync; Teacher Shen also chose the same ones just now.”

“Is that so?” Su Cancan smiled, silently put them back, and picked a different pair.

After a flurry of activity, the woman in front of the full-length mirror was clearly a noble little princess.

Of course, she was a princess to begin with.

Her thick, long curls, like soft seaweed, scattered over her shoulders. She wore a pure white satin short dress with a matching bow tied at the waist. When she walked, her long legs moved the sheer fabric, making her look like a clean, beautiful fairy.

Su Cancan finished and walked out of the makeup room. Shen Luoyan’s solo promotional photos were already completed; she was just waiting for Su Cancan for the double shots. The white dog was sprawled at her feet, in a bad mood, listless and ignoring everyone.

Still apprehensive, Su Cancan stopped a few steps away from them.

The photographer, a middle-aged man who appreciated beauty but was a little dense, said, “Cancan is ready, let’s go to the riverside for the double shots.”

“Wait a moment,” Shen Luoyan said, hesitatingly interrupting him. “Xixi, please take Xueqiu away to play.”

Shen Luoyan’s assistant, Xixi, put a leash on the lazy dog on the ground and dragged her away from the scene. The dozens-of-pounds-heavy dog glared resentfully at everyone present. It was equally and furiously annoyed at everyone, unless they apologized with jerky treats.

So, the dog was called Xueqiu (Snowball).

Su Cancan had never owned a dog, but its little expressions amused her. Shen Luoyan’s brows relaxed slightly: “I haven’t had a chance to apologize to Teacher Su. I’m sorry, Xueqiu startled you just now.”

“It’s fine.” Su Cancan accepted Shen Luoyan’s insincerity completely.

The minor interlude quickly passed, and the large group moved to the riverside. Early summer was approaching. The bright and gentle sun shone on the lake, and the light breeze stirred up layers of waves, sparkling golden as they rolled into the distance.

The lively shoot lasted for over an hour, resulting in hundreds of images. Reviewing them, the photographer and the producer sat in front of the computer, looking at each other.

Strange, very strange.

The two top beauties of the entertainment industry were side-by-side for the first time. Their differing temperaments didn’t conceal the other’s brilliance, but the only conclusion they could draw, no matter how they looked at it, was that it was discordant. In fan circle terms, there was no “CP chemistry.”

The producer’s mouse wheel stopped. The screen displayed a close-up photo of the two women. The unmasked distance between them was palpable; they didn’t look like lovers but more like prisoners tied up together. If you looked closely, Su Cancan’s face read “Help,” and Shen Luoyan’s read “Run.”

The producer secretly glanced at Su Cancan and Shen Luoyan, whose lounge chairs were dozens of meters apart, one left, one right. With no camera on them, there was no interaction. His temple throbbed: “What should we do?”

The photographer shrugged while wiping his precious lens. He couldn’t do anything. It was hard for people who didn’t love each other to spontaneously generate affection, and it was even harder for his camera to capture it.

The production team discussed and decided to first re-shoot Su Cancan’s solo photos, while subtly “brainwashing” the two teachers during the shoot.

Conventional wisdom divides actors into idol actors and acting method actors. Later, finer categories like “resource star” and “legal trouble star” emerged. Interestingly, the cross-industry Shen Luoyan was classified as an “acting powerhouse,” while the professionally trained Su Cancan was labeled an “idol actress,” or in harsher terms, a “pretty face” or “trophy.”

●

Since they chose these two, the production team didn’t want to cause any trouble on this front. They split into two groups, one to persuade Shen Luoyan and the other to persuade Su Cancan. Liu Yimin was supervising Su Cancan as she followed the photographer’s directions when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

Individual photos didn’t require interaction, and Su Cancan completed them efficiently. Liu Yimin handed her a bottle of room-temperature mineral water.

“What were you talking about?” Su Cancan unscrewed the cap and took a small sip.

She had been noticed after all. Liu Yimin replied, “Nothing much. We have to change the look and shoot a few more backup sets later.”

Su Cancan tossed the bottle cap. The light blue circle spun in the air before landing steadily in her palm. Her attention was focused entirely on this: “Don’t beat around the bush. Just say what you need to say. What kind of outrageous thing can I possibly do here?”

“Fine,” Liu Yimin pondered where she had given herself away to this ‘cat spirit.’ “It’s nothing, it’s just that the previous photos aren’t usable.”

Su Cancan frowned, cutting her off: “What? They don’t look good?”

She wouldn’t refute the criticism from anti-fans about her acting, but no one had ever called her face ugly since she was born. As someone who relied on her looks for a living, she couldn’t accept such an evaluation.

“Why are you so impatient? I wasn’t finished. It’s not that they don’t look good; it’s that there’s no CP chemistry. You’re both expressing your own feelings. If we release them, we won’t attract any CP fans. Your solo fans will probably be delighted and can tear each other down for another three days and three nights.”

“Oh,” Su Cancan screwed the cap back on.

“Oh?”

“Others might not know, but you do. How could we possibly have CP chemistry? If murder wasn’t illegal, I would have assassinated her three years ago. And now you want me to smile and sell sex appeal?”

This person had a problematic mindset. If murder wasn’t illegal, Liu Yimin would want to pry open her head and see what was inside. Unfortunately, the law didn’t allow it. She patiently said, “You are an actress.”

Su Cancan looked indifferent: “Does anyone care?”

Liu Yimin was speechless. She squeezed out from her throat, “Twenty million.”

Su Cancan wasn’t foolish enough to oppose money. Remembering her bank balance, she nodded: “Got it.”