The Movie Queen is Flirtatious and Doting - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Gu Yinglian felt she had finally grasped a sliver of the essence of acting. Acting was about merging oneself into the character—becoming them, speaking as them, acting as them, and thinking as them. Looking in the mirror, she could see a trace of genuine malice staring back. Suddenly snapping back to reality, a chill ran down her spine.

With the male lead removed, the production was unfrozen and filming resumed. It had been a month since the shutdown. While the first two weeks were spent in limbo, the latter half had everyone on standby, ready to rush onto the set at a moment’s notice. The director and producer’s new strategy was “fast, accurate, and ruthless.” They couldn’t afford any more delays; they needed to film, air, and recoup their investment as quickly as possible.

The revised scripts were handed to the two leads. Gu Yinglian had spent her half-month of preparation feeling ambitious. Ye Yansheng had also been preparing, meticulously studying her role. Although she was playing the same character, the change in her co-star forced her to adapt—at the very least, she felt she should be a bit more tender when facing the woman she liked.

After the director’s team confirmed the leads were ready, the schedule was packed to the brim. Ye Yansheng cooperated fully, ignoring the distinction between morning and night, essentially living on the set.

Seeing Ye Yansheng again after more than a month felt surreal to Gu Yinglian. Wait? Did she get softer? Friendlier? More charming? Or is it just me?

Ye Yansheng greeted her: “Xiao Gu, what are you staring at? Do I look that good?”

Gu Yinglian managed a greeting: “Sister Ye, long time no see.”

When asked about her status, Gu Yinglian said, “I’m good. I’ve memorized all the lines.”

“Then let’s rehearse today’s scene,” Ye Yansheng suggested.

“Okay.”

As they rehearsed, Ye Yansheng kept her eyes locked on Gu Yinglian. Under that intense gaze, Gu Yinglian felt a wave of self-consciousness, her ears turning a faint shade of red.

Ye Yansheng saw it and laughed. “This won’t do. As I recall, you’re playing a thick-skinned character. How can you be blushing?”

Gu Yinglian looked at her and retorted, “As I recall, Sister Ye, you’re playing a cold and aloof character. How can you be smiling at me? If you smile at me like that, how can I not blush?”

Ye Yansheng countered, “Then let me ask you: why does my smiling make you blush?”

“Usually, it’s just… embarrassing,” Gu Yinglian muttered.

“Oh?” Ye Yansheng teased. “You find it embarrassing?”

“I suppose so.”

…

The scene they were filming: The secret is out. Secretary Jin has been stealing data for a rival company. Action—

Ye Yansheng sat behind her desk, looking at Gu Yinglian with a cold sneer. Gu Yinglian asked tentatively, “President, you called for me? Are there any instructions?”

Ye Yansheng: “I looked over your resume. It’s flawlessly crafted. Three years in our company… how much data have you fed to the competition?”

Gu Yinglian looked shocked. She stared at Ye Yansheng. “What… what are you saying?”

“Still pretending?” Ye Yansheng stood up, rounded the desk, and approached her. Her proximity forced Gu Yinglian to take a step back in her heels. Ye Yansheng sneered, looking down at her. “I was wondering where this obscure company came from, rising so fast in just a few years that it could challenge Tianshui Group…” She reached out and pinched Gu Yinglian’s chin, forcing her to make eye contact. “In the bottled water industry, Tianshui has always been the leader. No one dares claim first place when Tianshui is second. And then ‘Zhenquan’ appears out of nowhere? Heh, so it was all your doing, Secretary Jin… How much did they pay you? Tell me.”

Gu Yinglian stared at Ye Yansheng, her body flushing with nervousness. Tiny beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. Her acting was being completely suppressed by Ye Yansheng’s presence. Her lips moved, trying to deliver her lines, but nothing came out. She was suddenly mute. Panic flared in her chest. Why can’t I speak? Ye Yansheng waited for her cue, but Gu Yinglian remained frozen. Just as Ye Yansheng was about to prompt her—

“Cut!” the director yelled. “Xiao Gu, what are you doing? Say the line!”

Ye Yansheng let go. Gu Yinglian snapped out of it and apologized profusely. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I got distracted.”

Ye Yansheng turned to the crew. “Makeup artist, come touch her up. She’s sweating quite a bit. Is it really that hot in here?”

Embarrassed, Gu Yinglian whispered, “It’s just that Sister Ye’s acting is too good. You forced the sweat right out of me.”

While the makeup artist worked, Ye Yansheng said to her, “You were fine during the rehearsal. Why did you freeze up just now?”

“I’m sorry… I just lost focus.”

“Losing focus while talking to me?” Ye Yansheng said. “Pay attention.”

“Yes.” Gu Yinglian nodded. In truth, under Ye Yansheng’s piercing gaze, she had felt a primal urge to run. She felt like a helpless mouse cornered by a cat. It was a terrible feeling to be toyed with so easily. She hadn’t expected to be so thoroughly intimidated that she couldn’t even speak. The massive gap between her and Ye Yansheng was becoming a source of immense pressure.

This woman always looked so relaxed, yet her acting was incredibly intense. No wonder she used to mock Gu Yinglian—she had the skill to back it up. Gu Yinglian felt the weight of it, her back damp with sweat. Fortunately, her suit hid it well.

Ye Yansheng glanced at her again. “Don’t be too nervous. Just do it like we practiced.”

The director checked the playback and, satisfied with Ye Yansheng’s performance, decided not to restart the whole scene. They would pick up right from where they left off.

Gu Yinglian took a deep breath, adjusted her mindset, and began again. Ye Yansheng once again pinched her chin, forcing her to look up. The moment “Action” was called, Ye Yansheng vanished into her character, her expression so intense it felt as though she might swallow Gu Yinglian whole.

Refusing to be suppressed this time, Gu Yinglian brushed Ye Yansheng’s hand away and turned to the side. “I don’t know what the President is talking about.”

Ye Yansheng laughed. “Your methods were clever, but you didn’t leave zero tracks.” She turned and sat back behind her desk, watching her with absolute composure. “Do you think I would call you here without evidence? Secretary Jin, are you aware that you are committing a crime?”

Gu Yinglian looked at her, her lips trembling slightly as she repeated her line: “I don’t know what the President means. I’ve worked diligently for Tianshui for three years. Am I to be slapped with a groundless accusation in the end?”

“Truly, you won’t cry until you see the coffin.” Ye Yansheng picked up her phone and sent a video to her. “Look for yourself.”

Gu Yinglian picked up her phone and watched the clip. Her face went through a kaleidoscope of emotions before settling on pure shock. The phone slipped from her hand, the screen shattering on the floor…

Ye Yansheng sneered. “Secretary Jin, do you have anything else to say?”

Gu Yinglian looked at her and suddenly smirked—a wicked, charming smile that caused even Ye Yansheng to blink in surprise. Gu Yinglian said simply, “I have nothing to say.”

“Cut! Good, move to the next set!”

…

The transition: Ye Yansheng remained in the office, watching Gu Yinglian leave with a complex expression. Gu Yinglian was fired. She walked out of the Tianshui Group gates carrying a cardboard box. As colleagues whispered and pointed, Gu Yinglian turned to look at the grand building. With a cold smile, she muttered, “I’ll be back.”

“Whoa, not bad!” the director praised after seeing Gu Yinglian’s expression.

It was noon, and the morning shoot was finally over. Ye Yansheng ordered takeout for the entire crew. Word had spread that Ye Yansheng was not only an investor but was also working for free; many now admired her deeply. Some who had previously gossiped about her “violence” felt a bit guilty now that she was repaying their malice with kindness. However, Ye Yansheng had her own way of winning people over; she made it easy to accept her favors. Besides, she didn’t care about the crew—she only cared about a certain little rabbit.

Ye Yansheng invited Gu Yinglian to lunch to discuss the afternoon scenes. Gu Yinglian couldn’t refuse. To everyone else, it looked perfectly professional.

“You did well this morning,” Ye Yansheng said. “You really do have talent.”

“You flatter me, Sister Ye,” Gu Yinglian replied. “I’m still far behind you.”

“You are,” Ye Yansheng said bluntly. “Your acting needs work, but your lack of experience is understandable. Don’t expect me to lower my standards, though. You’ll have to work hard to keep up with me.”

Gu Yinglian had just been being polite, but Ye Yansheng had jumped straight into a critique—the classic “carrot and stick” approach. “Understood, Sister Ye. I’ll work hard to keep up.”

“Mm, good attitude,” Ye Yansheng noted. “Since we’re staying at the company dorms during this push, we’ll have plenty of time to ‘sync up.'”

To save time, the leads were staying in company housing—two private rooms right next to each other. This, of course, had been the “investor’s” request.

Gu Yinglian understood the arrangement. She lived alone anyway, with no pets to worry about, so she had packed a few outfits and moved in. The conditions were good, with staff to handle the housework, allowing the actors to focus entirely on their performance.