Chapter 4

Wu Qingluan was certain that Qin Rong was no good, and this strange Taoist behind her was even worse!

She was shooting a bedroom scene with Qin Rong, and now Xuanwei dared to suggest that she imagine Qin Rong as him? Why would she want to imagine him doing that? Driving a car, perhaps? She certainly didn’t share any unique interests with a Taoist like him.

Returning to the set felt like going to her own funeral, her expression heavy. She couldn’t help but feel a visceral aversion when she saw the intricately carved golden nanmu bed placed in the middle of the set. Thinking about lying on it shortly and engaging in intimate actions with Qin Rong made her want to run away.

Why had she, driven by her greed for money, accepted this role in the first place?

“Wu Qingluan, come here!” Director Li called her over.

“Director Li,” Wu Qingluan obediently approached and greeted him.

Director Li was an experienced director, a talented one. He could tell from her expression that she hadn’t yet adjusted to the situation, but his patience was wearing thin.

Director Li, with his hands behind his back, his beer belly more pronounced, said, “Wu Qingluan, do you know why I chose you as the leading lady?”

Wu Qingluan shook her head honestly. She didn’t believe that this opportunity had come through Brother Guo, her less-than-stellar manager. There had to be another reason.

“You’re not the first time we’ve worked together. When we shot ‘High Mountains and Flowing Waters,’ I noticed you. Your image fits perfectly with what I envisioned for the female lead in this film. However, you’re not the only one.”

Wu Qingluan didn’t know what to say; she simply nodded.

“High Mountains and Flowing Waters” was part of Director Li’s major film series, and Wu Qingluan had been fortunate to play a supporting role in it.

Director Li sighed. “You’re a beautiful woman with a wooden personality, wasting such a good appearance!”

Wu Qingluan continued nodding. She respected Director Li deeply; hence, she didn’t want to offer empty words to appease him. Right now, she was out of her element. It was easier for her to express love for a dog than for Qin Rong!

“Have you ever been in love? Any romantic experience?”

Wu Qingluan blushed and shook her head.

Director Li looked hopeless. “Try it again.”

“I’m sorry!” Wu Qingluan bowed deeply to Director Li and then turned to head back to the set.

She knew what Director Li meant. If she didn’t perform well this time, she might really get terminated. If things went south, she could be packing her bags before dawn.

If Director Li initiated the termination, she wouldn’t have to pay any compensation, but the company would likely fine her. She still had enough savings to cover that, but if she angered Director Li, the company might delay the termination process, making it more complicated.

Wu Qingluan reluctantly lay on the bed again, the set team responsible for lighting, special effects, and mist had all gone online. Now, it was all about her and Qin Rong, the leading couple’s performance.

Qin Rong was quite professional, gazing at her with affection, slowly lowering his head…

Wu Qingluan tried to summon her emotions, to immerse herself in the role, but it wasn’t working. As she saw Qin Rong’s face approaching hers, she felt an overwhelming urge to slap him.

“Qingluan—”

Suddenly, Qin Rong called her name.

His voice was no longer oily and slick but rather refreshing. Simultaneously, a breeze entered the bed curtains, revitalizing Wu Qingluan.

She stared at Qin Rong in astonishment. It was still the same face, the same person, so why did he feel completely different? Qin Rong had gone from a playboy to an exiled immortal in an instant!

Perhaps it was the lighting, but Qin Rong’s eyes seemed to have a greenish tint and were deeper than before. His gaze was nearly hypnotic, as if it could pull one’s soul in.

Unconsciously, Wu Qingluan reached out and grabbed Qin Rong’s shoulder.

Suddenly, Qin Rong extended his hand and gently covered Wu Qingluan’s eyes.

“Hmm?”

“Don’t be afraid, I’m here,” Qin Rong’s voice echoed in her ears, and immediately, a fiery kiss landed on her lips.

Every drop of blood in Wu Qingluan’s body was ignited by this kiss. This was supposed to be her first kiss, but why did this sensation feel so familiar?

…

“Cut!” Director Li’s enthusiastic voice resounded, “Very good, excellent!”

The surrounding voices and lights returned to normal.

Wu Qingluan lay on the bed, breathing heavily.

Qin Rong had already left the bed and was surrounded by assistants, makeup artists, and others.

Xiao Ma pushed aside the bed curtain and squeezed in, seeing the swollen lips and moist eyes of Wu Qingluan, she couldn’t help but be stunned. “Sis, sis, are you okay? Did that Qin guy bully you again?”

Wu Qingluan shook her head, “No… I was just… too immersed in the scene. Help me up.”

Wu Qingluan was drenched in sweat, and to make matters worse, she found herself unable to stand up due to her weak legs. Thankfully, Xiao Ma held her up.

The people around them exchanged knowing glances that seemed to pierce through her. Wu Qingluan pretended not to notice.

No, no, no, she told herself. That person who had been passionately kissed by someone couldn’t possibly be her. There’s no way she could be swayed by someone like Qin Rong!

Wu Qingluan lowered her head and vigorously wiped her lips while muttering to herself, “Ugh, ugh, ugh!”

Director Li was quite satisfied with their performance. With this crucial scene completed, they could wrap up for the day.

Before leaving, Wu Qingluan expressed her gratitude to Director Li once again and apologized. As long as the performance was good, Director Li was a very forgiving person. His tone was much more affectionate now as he said, “I didn’t expect you to get into character so quickly. You did really well this time!”

Receiving such straightforward and warm praise from Director Li made Wu Qingluan feel like she was on cloud nine. She could almost see herself stepping onto the stage to accept awards amidst flowers and applause.

However, her dreams were shattered by Director Li’s next words. “But, young lady, you lack reverence for acting. You treat acting as a tool to make money, and with that mindset, it’ll be difficult to win awards.”

Wu Qingluan felt as if her dreams had come crashing down. Director Li indeed had a keen eye, and he had seen through her in an instant.

Indeed, Wu Qingluan entered the entertainment industry for one purpose only: to make money. Money would provide her and her grandmother with a better life and better care. As for her own interests and hobbies, they didn’t matter. What mattered most was survival.

Fortunately, Director Li was in a good mood and didn’t criticize her further. He reminded her to be on time for work the next day and let her go.

Her agent, Brother Guo, appeared at the right moment and reminded her to sleep in Xuan Wei’s room again tonight.

Wu Qingluan raised an eyebrow, “You showed up just in time, didn’t you?”

Brother Guo replied, “Of course, I’m keeping an eye on you.”

“Thank you!” Wu Qingluan expressed her gratitude.

As they were talking, there was suddenly a commotion up ahead, and then Qin Rong stumbled over from the distance.

Seeing Qin Rong, Wu Qingluan’s heart skipped a beat. No, she had to stay composed. Acting was acting, and reality was reality.

As Qin Rong approached, Wu Qingluan noticed that he had returned to his carefree demeanor, with a completely different aura and behavior than before. He also reeked of alcohol.

In just a short while, how had he managed to drink so much?

Wu Qingluan covered her nose and mouth, passing by Qin Rong. Strangely, he didn’t pester her as he used to. Instead, he stood in place, looking around in confusion, as if he had just woken up from a deep sleep.

Just woken up… come to think of it, wasn’t the scene they were shooting earlier like creating a dream? And now the dream was over.

Under Brother Guo’s watchful eye, Wu Qingluan returned to the courtyard where Xuanwei lived. She noticed that the main gate was still open, and the lights were on.

She checked the time; it was already 3 in the morning. Wasn’t the Taoist priest supposed to be asleep?

Wu Qingluan tiptoed closer to the house and heard indistinct voices. When she entered, she didn’t see anyone.

She proceeded to the inner room and found Xuanwei lying on the bed, fast asleep.

Wu Qingluan felt a sense of relief. If the Taoist priest was already asleep, did that mean she could…

“Come here,” Xuan Wei called out.

Wu Qingluan had barely taken a step towards leaving when she was stopped by Xuanwei’s voice.

Wu Qingluan thought, “Is this old Taoist pretending to be asleep?” She obediently walked to the bedside, positioning herself with her back turned to him.

Maintaining the same posture for an extended period was quite uncomfortable. After a while, Wu Qingluan quietly turned over, facing Xuanwei.

As she turned, she realized they were exceptionally close, and she almost bumped into him.

Xuanwei didn’t seem to react, as if he was truly asleep.

Wu Qingluan raised her eyes to look at Xuanwei, from his smooth, upturned eyelashes to his prominent nose bridge, and finally to his slightly swollen, red lips.

Xuanwei’s lips were so red, and they seemed a bit swollen. Was it due to some irritation or…

Wu Qingluan couldn’t help but touch her own split lip and cursed Qin Rong inwardly. She then turned away, closing her eyes in a seemingly guilty manner.

Little did she know, right after she turned away, Xuanwei opened his eyes, with a flicker of emerald green light dancing within them.