The Movie Queen's Virtual Little Girlfriend - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Aura

As Jiang Yitong stood up, she inadvertently glanced at the person daydreaming beside her. Although she didn’t know when the woman had appeared there, she didn’t give it much thought. Clutching her script, she turned and walked forward, weaving through a crowd of staff members before coming to a stop in an open space to the side.

Two actors were currently filming. The crew stood in a circle at a slight distance, surrounding them, but they didn’t enclose them completely; several gaps were left open. Jiang Yitong happened to slot into one of these gaps, silently observing their performance. The director sat on one side of her.

This was a wuxia drama, and the entire plot revolved around the character Qin Aoxue, played by Jiang Yitong. Almost every person in the story had some intricate connection to her, so her role was extremely heavy. Except for when she had other scheduled commitments, she came to the set every day.

Even on days when she had no scenes to film, she would stay by the side. While watching intently, she would also offer her thoughts and suggestions for the shoot.

Although the drama hadn’t aired yet, and the progress hadn’t even reached the halfway mark since filming began, Director Cheng Dong had jokingly mentioned to his director friends on WeChat several times that hiring Jiang Yitong for this role was like striking gold; it was his good fortune.

In his years in the industry, he had directed four films and one web series, all with respectable results. Although this was his first collaboration with Jiang Yitong, his team had intended to work with her years ago; the opportunity had simply arrived late.

Everyone in the industry knew of Jiang Yitong’s professionalism and dedication, but hearing about her charm was far from enough. Only by actually working with her could one gain a deeper understanding of just how strictly she pushed herself and the quality of the work.

Cheng Dong didn’t believe Jiang Yitong was overstepping by getting involved in the filming process; in fact, she wasn’t “interfering” at all. She simply proposed her ideas, wanting to make the work better.

During the filming period, every member of the crew had seen a glimpse of her intensity. Some were awed and enlightened, learning a great deal after reflecting on her input and appreciating her rigor. Others, however, secretly harbored resentment toward her, hating how she obsessed over details and added to their workload.

Jiang Yitong was completely oblivious to the resentment of a portion of the crew. Or rather, she poured all her energy into the acting, ignoring the cold stares outside the scenes.

Fang Qing looked around and caught sight of that figure on one side of the crowd.

She didn’t head over immediately. She had intended to wait in her seat for Jiang Yitong to return, but after realizing something, she stood up at once and walked toward her in a few quick steps.

A moment later, Cheng Dong’s voice—shouting the “Cut!” that had already been heard countless times—rang out through the intercom. She saw Jiang Yitong take a few steps to stand behind him, and the two actors from the scene also hurried over.

Several people stood before the monitors. Jiang Yitong stood quietly at the very end, watching the playback twice along with the director and actors.

Fang Qing was also behind them. After watching the segment, she felt both actors had performed very well, but she couldn’t say much more; if it were her, she definitely wouldn’t have matched the two veterans. Jiang Yitong, however, immediately spotted small issues in the details and began discussing them with the actors, suggesting a different way to handle a certain part.

All three were actors with strong ideas of their own. Cheng Dong wasn’t idle either; listening to their discussion, he also had things to say. As he spoke, his hands waved in the air and his expression was serious, exuding an aura of someone in total control of the situation. It was clear at a glance who the head director was.

Only Fang Qing, despite standing so close behind them, seemed to be completely excluded. Filming with her seniors made her feel lucky, but the pressure also weighed on her like a mountain. As she listened to their discussion, her gaze involuntarily drifted back to Jiang Yitong.

When Jiang Yitong was focused, it was always impossible to look away.

Jiang Yitong didn’t notice the gaze coming from behind her. She knit her brows slightly, and after finishing the discussion, she sat down beside Cheng Dong to chat further. Knowing there was no point in standing there like an idiot, Fang Qing tactfully left.

After chatting with Cheng Dong for a few minutes, Jiang Yitong headed straight for the makeup room, letting the artist begin applying her makeup.

She temporarily closed her script and placed it on the vanity in front of her. Closing her eyes, she intended to empty her mind for a brief rest, but for some reason, a face surfaced in the darkness before her eyes.

The face, initially blurry, grew clearer by the second.

Although she had only seen it twice, this smiling face was presented clearly to her, down to the smallest detail. In truth, Jiang Yitong had no intention of memorizing Jiang’er’s face, but her subconscious seemed to have done it for her and was now actively helping her recall it.

The reason she gave herself was: Perhaps it’s because I opened the game both last night and this morning, and the visuals were truly breathtakingly realistic. The emotional fluctuation affected me, so I’m involuntarily recalling the game, and by extension, Jiang’er.

She hadn’t uninstalled the game yet. She didn’t know why she was keeping it, but it just felt natural to let it stay.

Jiang Yitong opened her eyes, and Jiang’er’s face was like a stone falling into a lake; the reflection on the surface was instantly shattered and vanished without a trace. Only the half-length mirror remained before her, reflecting herself and the makeup artist busy at her side.

Picking up her script, Jiang Yitong flipped to the first scene to be filmed today. She didn’t look at the dialogue, only at the notes she had scribbled in the margins.

During the afternoon meal break, everyone ate in the canteen.

Jiang Yitong liked peace and quiet and was even less accustomed to eating with others, so she always sat at a table alone with Shen Si. The liveliness of the other tables had nothing to do with her. Occasionally, she would exchange a few simple words with Shen Si, but most of the time they just lowered their heads and ate in silence.

Shen Si didn’t speak much on a daily basis either, but she was highly efficient, which aligned with Jiang Yitong’s own style. This was a major reason why Shen Si had been able to stay by her side for the past few years.

Shen Si always sat beside her, leaving the two seats opposite her empty, until one day, an uninvited guest arrived. The actress who played her childhood friend in the drama, Fang Qing, took one of those seats.

In real life, besides knowing the girl’s name was Fang Qing and that she was a few years younger than herself, Jiang Yitong knew nothing else and felt no need to know.

She remembered the day Fang Qing had held her lunch box and politely asked if she could sit at this table. She hadn’t refused, and since then, Fang Qing had always sat in that spot without asking again. Fortunately, Fang Qing was also a woman of few words; every time she sat down, she just ate quietly. Jiang Yitong didn’t pay her any mind and continued as usual.

Today, Fang Qing sat opposite her as always, but she unusually spoke up.

Suddenly hearing a “Jiang-laoshi” in her ear, Jiang Yitong stopped eating and looked up, giving a faint “Mhm” in response.

“Jiang-laoshi… I have a few questions about tonight’s scene I’d like to ask you. Can we talk after we finish eating?”

Although it wasn’t the first time she had sought advice from Jiang Yitong since joining the cast, Fang Qing’s caution was very apparent. She asked tentatively, seemingly worried she would be rejected.

This cautiousness was naturally not feigned; after all, the other person was her senior, so she had to speak carefully. However, she knew deep down that Jiang Yitong would not refuse her. More accurately, she wouldn’t refuse anything related to filming.

Indeed, Jiang Yitong never refused a discussion related to the work. She didn’t hesitate and nodded directly.

Seeing the face across from her light up with a radiant smile the second she agreed, Jiang Yitong showed no expression. She lowered her head and continued eating her dinner.

She didn’t care much for the emotions of others; she cared more about the content of the upcoming discussion.

The sky was completely dark and the wind was strong, a bone-chilling cold slapping against people’s faces.

Jiang Yitong and Shen Si stepped out of the canteen and headed straight for the lounge. She was supposed to go back to the set, but remembering Fang Qing had questions, she stayed there to wait.

The filming location for the night was in an outdoor bamboo forest. With dim lighting, noisy surroundings, and the lower nighttime temperatures, it was clearly inconvenient for a discussion. Staying in the quiet, warm lounge would allow both of them to concentrate better.

Jiang Yitong sat on the long sofa, glancing at Shen Si, who was silently playing with her phone on the single sofa next to her, before quickly looking away.

She took her phone out of her coat pocket and found two WeChat messages from her manager, Feng Man, saying she was currently on her way to the Film and Television City and asking if she wanted any late-night snacks.

Jiang Yitong had no appetite and simply replied, “Thanks, Sister Feng, no need,” before returning to the home screen.

A second before locking the screen, her gaze inadvertently brushed past a certain app.

This glance actually lasted less than a second, yet she still instinctively paused.

Seeing her own indifferent face reflected on the black phone screen, Jiang Yitong pulled back her wandering thoughts and put the phone back in her coat pocket. She was still wearing her thin costume with a thick coat draped over her shoulders, left unbuttoned. In the comfortably heated room, this was just right.

A few minutes later, Fang Qing knocked and entered, holding her dark green notebook. She placed it on the coffee table along with her script, then sat on the other single sofa opposite Shen Si, not far from Jiang Yitong.

Knowing that Jiang Yitong disliked people dawdling, Fang Qing skipped any unnecessary “opening remarks” and cut straight to the chase, flipping open her notebook and handing it to Jiang Yitong. She knew Jiang Yitong probably wouldn’t look at the script, but she pushed it over as well.

Jiang Yitong was well-acquainted with Fang Qing’s upcoming filming content; she could almost memorize those few segments of dialogue. She didn’t touch the script Fang Qing pushed over, but picked up the heavy notebook and examined the notes written on the paper.

Jiang Yitong kept her head lowered. Her ponytail was pulled high at the back of her head, revealing a smooth, full forehead. In this drama, she didn’t use a hairpiece; this was her own hair. Her hair was dark and smooth, which, along with the heroic makeup, gave her a valiant temperament. Every gesture carried the air of a swordswoman—which was her role in the drama, a famous heroine of the jianghu.

This wasn’t the first time Jiang Yitong had held her notebook and read it silently, yet Fang Qing was still unable to get used to the aura radiating from her.

She truly liked Jiang Yitong, but she also had to admit that whenever she faced her—especially when the other was silent—she inevitably felt a sense of “fear.”

Once you witnessed the power of Jiang Yitong’s aura firsthand, you would find it far more intimidating than you could have imagined.

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