The Movie Queen And Her Rival Just Went Public! - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

“Cancan, Xiao Shen, interact!”

The calm lake surface occasionally rippled. Greenery extended from the riverbank, and two folding chairs were placed not far from the shore. Su Cancan and Shen Luoyan, who had changed into casual clothes, each occupied one.

After Liu Yimin’s reminder, Su Cancan, who knew she was getting paid for this, did a complete 180-degree shift in attitude. She leaned back against the chair with extreme relaxation, her long, straight legs crossed, using her heels as a pivot point, looking lazy and casual in her leather skirt.

Shen Luoyan was slightly more upright, also leaning back with her legs naturally resting on the ground. Her expression was calm as she gazed into the distance, a mystery shrouded in soft light.

Separately, they were two distinctly beautiful scenes, but together, they were incompatible.

The photographer looked at the two unfamiliar people in the lens and no longer forced it. He reluctantly put down his camera and directed them.

“Imagine you are a couple in the throes of love, stealing a moment to go out for a spring outing and relax. You need to relax and enjoy yourselves. Don’t look so stiff, like you’re discussing a business project,” he paused, looking from left to right. “You are actors.”

He made his point without being overtly critical, giving them both enough face.

After giving directions, he raised his camera and pressed the shutter again. The photo was taken. He zoomed in, examined it, and shook his head in frustration.

He let out a sigh and waved his hand: “Forget it, take a break. Xiao Zhang, please touch up Xiao Shen’s lipstick. Why is there a black spot near her mouth?”

The speaker had no ill intention; the perfectionist photographer merely found a small flaw in the image.

The listener was attentive. Shen Luoyan’s fingertip caressed the slight protrusion, gently rubbing it, her eyes subtly drifting toward the person beside her.

Su Cancan was clueless. The repeated interruptions gave her a sense of defeat. She was depressed and had to be tied to someone she hated; no amount of money could compensate for the “trauma” she was enduring. She ignored the signal Shen Luoyan was sending, cursed internally, calling her “sick,” straightened up, and walked over to Liu Yimin to gulp down two mouthfuls of water.

“You need to be more proactive,” Liu Yimin whispered.

Given their previous relationship, achieving this level was already difficult. As a manager, she was quite satisfied with Su Cancan’s state today.

Su Cancan didn’t respond. Her gaze bypassed the crowd and fell upon Shen Luoyan, who was still sitting in her spot. Stylist Xiao Zhang carefully held her face, meticulously fixing the flaw. She slightly tilted her head to cooperate. Her smooth jawline connected to her slender neck, resembling a noble swan, elegant and dignified, radiating an innate coldness.

Be more proactive? Be more intimate?

The cat’s innate predatory instinct towards birds surged in her blood. Su Cancan licked her lips and gave a relaxed smile. She knew what to do.

After confirming that Su Cancan and Shen Luoyan’s styling was correct, the two sat back in the folding chairs. The sun slowly tilted west, its intense light subdued, casting a gentle, bright orange glow over the sky, warmly enveloping everything in the world. The people were there, the ambiance was there, and the photographer raised his camera.

“Cancan.”

He stood behind them, shooting their backs. As soon as his voice began, Su Cancan seemed to have a breakthrough. She closed the distance between herself and Shen Luoyan. Not enough, she turned her head and leaned it on Shen Luoyan’s shoulder.

Her long, curled hair fell onto Shen Luoyan’s cheek and neck, with a few mischievous strands creeping inside her clothes.

An itch, a physical sensation of itching; an itch, a restless stirring in her heart. Shen Luoyan’s hand trembled as she secretly pinched a few strands between her fingers. An unprecedented sense of satisfaction filled her chest. She was fortunate to have her back to everyone, allowing her to privately enjoy this fleeting happiness, a happiness that belonged only to her.

“Good, good, don’t move.”

The photographer was prepared for the possibility of directing the whole time and still getting unusable shots. He never expected Su Cancan to precisely grasp what he wanted. No one could tell that these were two unfamiliar artists collaborating for the first time. The dense affection was about to burst through the screen and flood the park. In his ecstasy, he continuously pressed the shutter.

The clicking sounds rang out repeatedly, and the anxious crew on the set finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After shooting this angle, the photographer regained his confidence and moved to the front. The tenderness that had been wrapped around Shen Luoyan’s fingers instantly withdrew as Su Cancan sat up straight.

The photographer reviewed the photos he had just taken: “I knew you two had no problem.”

“This set is frontal. Please turn to the left a bit for better lighting.” He stopped at a certain photo, zooming in and out with indescribable satisfaction.

An assistant came over to help adjust the angle and set up the lighting. Su Cancan and Shen Luoyan were once again placed in front of the lens.

Once she decided to let go, she did.

Su Cancan kicked off her small leather shoes. Her toes, round like jade seeds, grazed her ankle and rested on Shen Luoyan’s calf. The evening breeze was cool, blowing away the daytime heat. Her instep was slightly marked with blue veins, but everywhere it touched seemed to ignite sparks.

Shen Luoyan was like a dried fish, dehydrated and without a drop of moisture, so stiff that she couldn’t make any movement, afraid she would shatter if she twisted or turned.

With hundreds of eyes watching, Su Cancan ignored them, placing her index finger on Shen Luoyan’s chin and exerting a slight force, turning her face to look at herself.

“The Movie Queen’s skill is nothing more than this.”

Su Cancan raised an eyebrow, speaking the most provocative words while performing the most intimate action in the eyes of others.

Shen Luoyan froze for a few seconds. She fully wrapped Su Cancan’s hand in her palm, tensed her calf to escape the teasing, and abruptly rose from the chair. The clasped hands were held tightly by her, while her other hand braced on the chair back.

Gasps and shouts rippled across the set. Everyone couldn’t believe that the two people rumored to be at odds could achieve this, looking more like a couple than real couples. Even the photographer was stunned. Coming back to his senses, he was ecstatic to have these two talented actors in the entertainment industry, and his hand kept clicking the camera.

Su Cancan was curled close to Shen Luoyan’s chest, her body’s curve tightly fitting against Shen Luoyan’s curves. Shen Luoyan’s gaze was fixed on her, her dark, deep pupils like a gravitational pull, drawing Su Cancan to fall and sink. All Su Cancan could see was her, and all she could hear was her own thunderous heartbeat.

“You said yesterday you didn’t like physical contact. I remember.” The swan lowered her noble head, her voice so gentle it could drip water. “But, you provoked me first today.”

After speaking, she lowered her head even further, almost burying it in Su Cancan’s neck. Her voice was muffled: “I know you’ll hate it, but I’m sorry.”

Sorry. She would actually say sorry. Su Cancan immediately detached from the romantic atmosphere, looking down coldly.

Shen Luoyan was still pressing down on her, just like three years ago, leaving her breathless.

With the two women’s high level of cooperation and exceptional performance, the double-shot session was completed successfully. It only took three hours for the producer to go from initial collapse to his current state of radiant smiles and endless anticipation for the future.

As dusk fell, the crew tidied up methodically. Su Cancan and Shen Luoyan met at the door of the only changing room.

“You go first,” Shen Luoyan maintained her elegant and thoughtful persona.

If she hadn’t experienced it herself, Su Cancan wouldn’t believe that the person in front of her was the same person who stole her resources. She gave a side-eye, folded her arms, and walked unceremoniously into the changing room to change.

The early summer temperature in the Jiangnan region was not high; it was even quite cold in the morning and evening. The two dresses the production team prepared for her were cut as short as possible to show off her legs. Su Cancan rubbed her arms to warm up, putting on her own clothes piece by piece.

Buttoning the last button, enveloped in warmth, the unique subtle fragrance of Shen Luoyan still lingered on her. She didn’t inherently mind the scent, but because it belonged to Shen Luoyan, she felt a strong sense of disgust—disgust for the clean fragrance, and disgust for Shen Luoyan’s pretense.

After changing and stepping out, Liu Yimin and Xiao Ke were already waiting at the door. Xiao Ke draped the windbreaker retrieved from the car over Su Cancan’s shoulders. She smiled gratefully, and the producer approached to chat.

The producer was all smiles: “Hard work, everyone. I just scanned the pictures; they are absolutely amazing. Even the real-life couples we shot the last two days didn’t have the same chemistry as you two.”

Su Cancan offered a fake smile: “You flatter us.”

“Are you free to join us for dinner later? Teacher Shen is also going.” Delays in filming often meant eating takeout on set. Since they finished early today and it was dinnertime, a spontaneous dinner invitation was reasonable.

Su Cancan waved her hand, and Liu Yimin took over the conversation: “I’m sorry, Producer Li, Cancan usually takes a few days off to go home and spend time with her family after finishing a drama. We were originally scheduled to leave at noon, and if we don’t leave now, it will be a bit too late.”

The producer didn’t press them, though his tone held a hint of regret: “Alright, alright, then we’ll schedule it for next time. Be careful on your way back, and we can communicate everything in the group chat.”