Chapter 10: The Prankster Sent by Monkeys (Extra Chapter for Reader R)

Jian Han silently repeated to herself, *It’s just a bunch of alien monkeys trying to steal bananas,* and calmly walked toward Han Chen.

Just when everyone thought the two would pass by each other, Han Chen suddenly spoke, “Ahem, you…”

Jian Han stopped in her tracks. As soon as the word “you” left his mouth, Han Chen took a long stride, instantly moving from her side to right in front of her. His tall figure completely enveloped her, his clear gaze and composed expression framed by his handsome face. “Would you be my girlfriend?”

From Zheng Qingqiu’s position, he could clearly see Han Chen’s right hand behind his back clenching and unclenching nervously, betraying his inner tension.

Jian Han’s eyes widened in surprise, and under the boy’s focused gaze, her cheeks gradually flushed a deep red, like the sky painted with the colors of a sunset.

Her shyness at that moment reached its peak, shooting straight through the ceiling.

Seeing the girl’s flushed face, the boy also began to feel embarrassed. He clenched one hand into a fist, bringing it to his lips, and glanced up at the girl. Just as his lips began to move, before he could say anything, Jian Han hastily bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle and turned to run away.

She had barely taken two steps when she couldn’t resist glancing back, only to lock eyes with the boy, who looked at her in shock. Startled, she quickly turned her head back, straightened her posture, and tried to make a graceful exit—if not for her arms and legs moving in sync, it might have been a flawless retreat.

The boy blinked, momentarily taken aback, before a natural smile curled at the corners of his lips.

Before the director could call “cut,” Shen Yue was already shouting excitedly, “That’s it! That’s exactly the feeling I was looking for!”

The subtle, ambiguous chemistry between the two actors was like freshly squeezed green apple juice—tart and a little sweet, leaving the audience craving more.

The way Han Chen glanced up while holding the book, the smooth way he moved to block Jian Han’s path, the clenched fist behind his back as he confessed.

Jian Han’s face slowly turning red, her absurdly funny ninety-degree bow, and especially that final glance, followed by her faux-elegant yet hilariously awkward exit with arms and legs moving together.

In just five minutes, the two actors brought to life a young boy and girl in the throes of their first crush, capturing every delicate and clumsy emotion.

Shen Yue didn’t hold back her praise, showering both actors with compliments from head to toe. Zheng Qingqiu stood by, exasperated, unable to get a word in—Shen Yue had already said everything that needed saying!

*Newcomers are always so full of passion!*

Finally, when Shen Yue’s throat was dry, she reached for a bottle of water, giving Zheng Qingqiu his chance. He looked at Jian Han with mock seriousness and asked, “Are you some sort of prankster sent by monkeys?”

Jian Han: “…”

Everyone else: “…”

Zheng Qingqiu sighed theatrically and pointed at the camera. “Look at this. During your first audition, you were like a complete rookie. By the second time, you’d become a proper newcomer. Now, in the third try, you’ve turned into a seasoned actress with impeccable skills!”

“Tell me, are you a prankster sent by monkeys just to mess with this old man?”

There was a brief pause before everyone burst into laughter.

Jian Han noticed that while everyone else was laughing heartily, Chen Xun’s smile was strained, a touch of sadness in his expression. No wonder—when you’re compared to someone else, it’s hard not to feel inadequate, even when your performance was solid. Like Director Zheng said, at best, Chen Xun’s performance could be called “adequate.”

Quietly, Jian Han tiptoed over to Chen Xun, gently patted him on the shoulder, and gave him a warm smile. “We’re still young.”

Before she could finish, Han Chen, who had somehow sidled up behind them, exploded, “What do you mean by that? Are you implying someone here is old?”

Chen Xun jumped in surprise, while Jian Han frowned slightly. Noticing everyone’s attention on her and seeing Han Chen glaring at her like he wouldn’t let it go, she didn’t bother to respond verbally. Instead, she calmly pulled out her phone and waved it in front of everyone.

As the crowd got a good look at the wallpaper on her phone—Han Chen’s cool, stylish face attached to the chubby body of a pig with a curly tail—Jian Han pulled out a lipstick and, with two quick strokes, drew a pair of bright red cheeks on Han Chen’s face!

Zheng Qingqiu couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. “This girl is hilarious!”

Han Chen, mortified, snatched the phone from Jian Han’s hands, frantically trying to peel off the sticker, his face flushed with embarrassment.

Jian Han didn’t stop him. She calmly picked up the script Han Chen had tossed aside earlier, opened it to reveal a poster. On it, Han Chen was shirtless, wearing only a pair of cropped jeans. Even worse, the zipper was half-open, revealing his perfectly toned V-line abs. Paired with his sultry smile, the poster practically dripped with sex appeal.

Jian Han looked at the poster, then at her hand, and slowly curled her fingers back one by one until only her pinky remained, which she mischievously poked toward the poster.

By the time Han Chen managed to scrape the sticker off his phone, he looked up to see everyone covering their mouths, eyes squinting with laughter, their faces flushed from trying to hold it in.

Zheng Qingqiu was the first to break, clutching his stomach and bending over with laughter. “Oh dear, I can’t take it anymore! Haha, this is killing me!”

Han Chen turned abruptly and saw Jian Han standing just a step behind him, holding up the poster of his semi-nude photoshoot.

He remembered that shoot—it was from when he first entered the industry, still broke and willing to take any job that came his way. Although the photoshoot was semi-nude, the pay wasn’t great. But once he became famous, the photos were posted online, and to everyone’s surprise, instead of being ridiculed, they skyrocketed his popularity, earning him tens of thousands of new fans overnight. The comments from his fans were nearly identical:

—“OMG, my idol is so hot, I’ve licked my screen clean!”

—“Let go of those pants, my love!”

But now, the once-sexy poster was no longer flattering at all. With two missing front teeth drawn in, even the most handsome face could turn ridiculous!

*Is she really a fan? She’s gotta be a high-level troll!*

Fuming, Han Chen snatched the poster from Jian Han’s hands and shredded it to pieces, roaring in frustration, “I don’t agree to her being the second female lead! It’s either her or me, we can’t both be here!”

Zheng Qingqiu, observing the scene, realized that Jian Han truly was Han Chen’s nemesis. Without saying a word, she had driven him to the brink.

*If these two join the cast, this will be endless entertainment!* he thought. Coughing twice, Zheng Qingqiu said in a stern voice, “Alright, stop causing a fuss. I’ll buy you a banana later.”

Han Chen: “…”

*Damn it, that girl really *is* a prankster sent by monkeys!*