After rushing back, Li Chu’s makeup was a bit smudged and needed retouching.
Qian Duoduo helped her comb her hair while talking about company matters. “Brother Nan’s flight is tonight, he’ll be here tomorrow. He negotiated a magazine feature here, so there’s an interview tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Li Chu nodded. An interview wouldn’t take too long; she could ask for a leave.
Filming was already seventy percent complete. Ji Yun didn’t plan to drag out the series for extra profit; he preferred to keep it concise and fast-paced.
“Sister, let me take a photo for your Weibo. Brother Nan said you should be more active online, post some selfies tomorrow or the day after.” Qian Duoduo said as she stepped back with her phone. She planned to post the photos on the assistant’s Weibo account to keep the fans engaged.
Originally, Tang Congnan didn’t intend for the assistant’s Weibo to be so active, but Li Chu, the main account holder, was simply too inactive online. She rarely used her phone while filming, let alone posted on Weibo, despite the constant urging of her fans. Li Chu remained unmoved.
“I know, but my selfies don’t look good,” Li Chu mumbled, closing her eyes as the makeup artist applied eyeliner.
Qian Duoduo retorted, “Who said that? Sister, you’re a great beauty even without makeup.”
“Duoduo, did you learn this rainbow-farting technique from Brother Nan?” Li Chu recalled how every time she saw her “male mom,” he would first praise her beauty to the skies, making her feel like she weighed 300 pounds.
“I’m telling the truth,” Qian Duoduo said with a grin, looking at the side profile she’d captured. She adjusted the filter—no need to retouch the person—and posted the photo.
Li Chu’s follower count had been growing slowly due to the lack of major exposure, but her existing fans hadn’t left. So, the assistant’s Weibo account still had quite a few active users.
However, the downside of having more fans was that different types of fans would fight. In previous Weibo posts, CP fans and solo fans had already clashed once.
Among Li Chu’s current CP fans, those who shipped her with Ning Manqing were the dominant force. There were basically no others. Although Li Chu and Dong Ming had also played a couple in the variety show—Li Chu as the Eldest Princess and Dong Ming as Bai Su—no one shipped them. Any shipping was limited to their characters; no one extended it to the actors themselves.
Li Chu and Dong Ming simply didn’t seem to match. Standing together, they looked like siblings. Meanwhile, QingLi CP fans had already edited numerous clips, especially those of the two interacting in the variety show.
When Ning Manqing spoke, Li Chu always looked at her intently. When Li Chu spoke, Ning Manqing’s gaze would also fall on her. Although they didn’t deliberately keep their distance or deliberately show closeness, they gave off an inexplicable sense of intimacy.
However, some of Li Chu’s solo fans strongly disliked the existence of powerful CP fans, believing it would hinder Li Chu’s career development. Some of Li Chu’s girlfriend/boyfriend fans disliked the idea of her being linked with an alpha.
Qian Duoduo refreshed the page. Sure enough, some irrational fans were already arguing under the post. Since the assistant account was semi-official, Qian Duoduo wouldn’t delete comments. Instead, she switched to her other two accounts to control the narrative and steer the conversation.
Yes, two. Qian Duoduo had one account as a small leader among the solo fans and another as a small leader among the CP fans. She held multiple positions and sometimes even used the two accounts to argue with herself.
When she arrived at the battlefield, the side being scolded was already preparing to retreat. She decided to observe before commenting.
@LazyProcrastinator: So solo fans are more noble, huh? Nothing better to do than pick fights with me. What’s wrong with my profile picture? Li Zi isn’t an idol. I’ll ship whoever I want. Let’s argue somewhere else. I’ll delete this comment later.
Qian Duoduo looked at the fan’s profile picture. Although her ID didn’t reveal it, her profile picture clearly marked her as a CP fan.
She zoomed in on the picture and blushed when she saw it. The screenshot angle was… suggestive. It seemed to be taken from behind-the-scenes footage of the variety show, the part where Ning Manqing was acting as if she was choking Li Chu. Although they were wearing casual clothes, it somehow made the scene even more shippable.
Because they were so close, at first glance, it looked like Ning Manqing was choking Li Chu while kissing her, incredibly sensual.
“Duoduo, what are you looking at?” Li Chu, finished with her makeup, saw her assistant holding her phone with a somewhat perverted smile and couldn’t help but ask.
Qian Duoduo nearly jumped out of her chair, clutching her phone to her chest, and shaking her head at Li Chu. “Nothing, Sister. Are you done?” Qian Duoduo tried to remain calm, but Li Chu saw through her pretense.
“Yes, let’s go.” Li Chu didn’t press further, but she nodded inwardly. Duoduo’s reaction definitely meant she was looking at something suggestive! She couldn’t believe she was that kind of person! Secretly looking at such things behind her back!
Although, it was unlikely they would look at it together. Li Chu continued her inner monologue for a while, then went downstairs in a good mood. After rehearsing the blocking, she immersed herself in Qin Mu’s emotions and waited for Ji Yun to call “action.”
The camera captured the subtle shifts in the young woman’s expression, creating a scene full of tension.
During a break between scenes, Ji Yun watched the footage and remarked to his long-time partner, “She’ll be even more amazing in the future. She’s the next Ning Manqing.”
Ji Yun knew Ning Manqing’s capabilities. Although she wasn’t considered incredibly popular by the public, she was undeniably talented. Not only was she naturally gifted, but she was also incredibly hardworking.
Ji Yun had always felt it was a pity that she seemed to lack a bit of luck, unable to land better roles or often encountering shady dealings. Later, he learned that someone had been suppressing her career, deliberately targeting her.
Knowing this, Ji Yun decided to cast Ning Manqing as his female lead. He believed someone like her deserved to be famous. The script was polished and ready, just waiting for the cast to be finalized and filming to begin. Who knew Ning Manqing would differentiate?
After Ning Manqing differentiated, it wasn’t that she couldn’t play Qin Mu, but the Qin Mu she would portray might be more dangerous, not the one Ji Yun envisioned. Ning Manqing herself was well aware of this, so she regretfully withdrew. Ji Yun thought his script might be shelved, but unexpectedly, things took a turn.
A glint flashed in San Qiu’s eyes behind his glasses as he watched the young woman suspended on wires in the distance. “Lao Ning might not be happy to hear that. Don’t say that in front of them.”
Ji Yun clicked his tongue, looking at San Qiu with disdain. “What’s the big deal? I’m praising her. They can’t be compared. Li Zi admires Lao Ning so much. If she heard me say this, she’d be thrilled. If I were Lao Ning, I’d be proud.”
San Qiu snorted. “You don’t understand a thing.”
Ji Yun retorted, “You understand even less.”
San Qiu didn’t want to talk to this rough, straight-A who didn’t understand romance. He waited to watch the next scene.
He had lost a lot of hair writing the romantic scenes for this drama. This time, he would definitely redeem himself and never again let anyone say his romantic storylines were superfluous.
In the story, Xi Yiyun took Qin Mu on the run, shaking off their pursuers, and hid with Qin Mu in a relatively safe place. Unsure if anyone else was still after them, Xi Yiyun called her colleagues at the police station to pick them up, then used simple tools available in the house to disinfect and remove a bullet from herself.
The makeup artist applied wound makeup to Ning Manqing. In the plot, Qin Mu wasn’t injured, just a bit disheveled, so dirtying her clothes and messing up her hair was enough.
San Qiu stood beside Li Chu, explaining the scene and emphasizing the feeling they needed to convey.
San Qiu gestured as he demonstrated to Li Chu, “You’ll straddle her, but not completely on top of her. Your knees will be the support points. There should be a little space between your lower body and hers, but your stomachs should be touching. You’ll look at her first, with intense emotion in your eyes, your chest heaving dramatically.”
“You can’t just suddenly kiss her. You need to hesitate first, showing the feeling of wanting to resist but being unable to. After kissing her, you can’t immediately become immersed. You need to be hesitant because Qin Mu realizes she doesn’t reject Xi Yiyun, even though she should.”
Li Chu nodded, indicating she understood.
To avoid any awkwardness or difficulty getting into character for the two leads, Ji Yun cleared the set, leaving only the essential staff.
Li Chu looked at Ning Manqing leaning against the wall. Her expression declared that she had already entered the scene and become Xi Yiyun, but her eyes, gentle and affectionate, were clearly still her own.
Xi Yiyun would never look at Qin Mu with such vast and deep affection, but Ning Manqing looked at Li Chu that way.
Ji Yun called “action,” and Li Chu and Ning Manqing entered their roles simultaneously.
The alpha police officer leaned against the wall, one leg slightly bent and extended. Blood stained the fabric of her shoulder, and her usual indifference seemed to be diluted by the blood, revealing an untamed wildness. Like the scorching sun stripped of its halo, revealing its even hotter core.
Pheromones mingled with the scent of blood in the air, intensifying the heat, seemingly evaporating the surrounding moisture, making one feel hot all over, even dizzy from the internal dehydration.
It was an extremely dangerous kind of sensuality, awakening the instinct for both admiration of strength and a cruel wickedness within.
Flushed from running, the omega licked her dry lips, staring intently into the alpha’s eyes. The scent of freesia pheromones filled the air.
Faint yet undeniable.
She straddled the alpha, and with a mixture of urgency and hesitation, she leaned in for a kiss.
This was a kiss that shouldn’t have happened, just as they shouldn’t have feelings for each other. They knew the consequences of continuing wouldn’t be what they wanted, but at this moment, who cared?
People weren’t cold, programmed beings. On the contrary, because of pheromones, they sometimes tended to become more primal.
It was a lingering, passionate kiss, the intertwining sounds of lips and tongues. Though it was their first time, it felt as natural as if they had practiced it a thousand times, as if it was meant to be.
Both dressed in black, they seemed to merge into one in the dim light.
Qian Duoduo watched from afar, her heart pounding. Sister Li and Teacher Ning’s acting is so good! she thought. They kiss so naturally, it doesn’t look like acting at all. So professional!
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little does she know…