Chapter 67
Kiss Scene
Xia Linxia knew how to kiss, of course. She had played the female lead more than once, so she didn't have any "first kisses" left to preserve. She had never been nervous or timid about dedicating herself to art.
But this time was a little different.
Her scene partner was a woman, the same woman she was rumored to be dating, the woman who thought she liked her, and a critically acclaimed actress who completely outshone her. She wasn't sure if she could film it well.
"Nervous?" Ji Fengxue asked.
She nodded. "A little."
She was a bit afraid of messing up. If she messed up, it would mean repeating the kissing scene over and over again.
Thinking about it made her feel shy. (▽)q
Wait!
"How come I remember the script only mentioned an ambiguous scene, but not a kissing scene?!" she suddenly recalled. She hadn't seen any kissing scenes when she read the script before!
Ji Fengxue covered her mouth with her fist and turned her face away, chuckling twice.
Seeing her reaction, Xia Linxia said in exasperation, "You lied to me!"
"I didn't lie," Ji Fengxue pursed her lips. "I just came from the director. He and the screenwriter discussed it and thought that since we're a couple, we shouldn't be afraid of kissing scenes. They finally decided to add it and asked me to inform you."
"Really?" Xia Linxia looked at her smile with disbelief, finding it increasingly strange the more she looked. "Why don't I believe you?"
"If you don't believe me, go ask," Ji Fengxue winked at her.
"I will," Xia Linxia turned to leave, but then she heard footsteps approaching. The next moment, "Little Xia Linxia" appeared before her.
"Hello, I'm Zhao Tinglu."
Xia Linxia raised an eyebrow and looked her up and down, her gaze lingering on her face. She nodded.
Zhao Tinglu had already learned about Xia Linxia's temper and watched many of her interviews and variety shows. She had to admit that seeing her in person, she couldn't help but be impressed. Of course, her temper was also as rumored – arrogant and unapproachable.
She turned to the person beside her. Ji Fengxue seemed easier to get along with. She smiled and said, "Hello, senior. We're from the same school. I'm very happy to be working with you."
"Thank you," Ji Fengxue replied.
Xia Linxia pouted. Why were there so many "juniors" everywhere? She rolled her eyes, bumped Ji Fengxue's shoulder, and walked past her, heading straight for the director.
Seeing Ji Fengxue smile, Zhao Tinglu felt encouraged and said, "Senior, I've watched your movies. I really like them..."
"Thank you," Ji Fengxue replied absentmindedly.
Zhao Tinglu looked up and saw her staring intently at something. Following her gaze, she saw Xia Linxia and the director. They were talking about something, and suddenly Xia Linxia grabbed her head with both hands and squatted down on the spot. She was quite uninhibited.
She would never do something so undignified.
"Senior, I..."
"Thank you," Ji Fengxue smiled, looking at something.
...
After a while, Ji Fengxue withdrew her gaze and looked directly at Zhao Tinglu with a serious expression, making Zhao Tinglu nervous.
"Zhao Tinglu, right?" Ji Fengxue curved her lips. "Your name is very nice."
Zhao Tinglu was delighted and was about to thank her when she heard her say, "Much nicer than Little Xia Linxia."
Zhao Tinglu's expression froze.
"Work hard. I hope next time we meet, it will be because of the name Zhao Tinglu," Ji Fengxue smiled faintly. "I have to go now. Goodbye."
Zhao Tinglu's face turned red and then pale. After a long time, her agent found her. "What are you doing here? Hurry up and meet the others."
"No need. When does my scene start?"
"Tonight's scene is between Xia Linxia and Ji Fengxue. Everyone else has no scenes. Let's go back to the hotel to rest."
Zhao Tinglu walked outside and saw Ji Fengxue standing with Qiu Xingzhou from a distance. The handsome man and beautiful woman were very eye-catching. Opposite them stood Xia Linxia, looking somewhat distraught. Ji Fengxue smiled and rubbed her head, and Qiu Xingzhou also rubbed her head.
Feeling neglected, she frowned, turned around, and left the set with a haughty demeanor.
Meanwhile, Xia Linxia pitifully pushed away the two people who were watching the show and returned to her dressing room alone to calm herself down.
She couldn't help but recall the process of filming tonight. How should she film it?
The more she thought about it, the more agitated she became. She opened her phone to a video-sharing platform, intending to watch some funny videos to relieve stress. Then she found a few kissing clips to study. Her stress didn't decrease but rather increased. Just as she was about to exit the platform, she noticed the homepage had refreshed. At a glance, she saw an edited video of her and Ji Fengxue. The uploader was indeed an old acquaintance.
She clicked on it and found that the style was different from before. The overall tone was not cheerful, and the video started in black and white. She watched it intently.
The video began with her dazzling stage performance. Among the thousands of fans in the audience, one person quietly held up a light stick. Unlike the noisy and excited fans around, this person simply smiled faintly as they watched the person on stage.
The scene shifted to a lively bar, the setting the same as before.
It was like a secret admirer, unable to express their feelings.
A line of text appeared on the screen: "A secret crush is a grand self-indulgence."
The scenes that followed shifted several times, but without exception, she was smiling and laughing, while in the corner, someone was always silently watching her, their eyes filled with undisguised affection.
[Ahhhhh this story is too heartbreaking! I want a happy ending!]
[Although I know the reality has a happy ending, if this ending doesn't have a happy ending, uploader, you'll be waiting for the razor blades!]
[I think it's very engaging. I really like this kind of bittersweet plot!]
[Engaging + ID card. It's hard to imagine if this is the real emotional trajectory. Did the movie queen secretly have a crush on Xia Linxia for so long?]
[Damn, as someone with a secret crush, I get Ji Fengxue's gaze completely. You hope they notice but pray they never find out. It's so heartbreaking, sob sob sob]
[Say no more, sob sob sob, my tears are worthless]
Xia Linxia was a bit confused. These clips had all happened to her, but she had never carefully considered the other person's reactions and gaze.
Looking at it now, it was unlikely to be solely due to Ji Fengxue's excellent acting skills. After all, they had been together for so long, and in places she hadn't seen, Ji Fengxue's gaze remained consistently affectionate.
She didn't believe Ji Fengxue's acting skills could reach such a level.
Could it be that Ji Fengxue actually liked her?
As soon as this thought emerged, she couldn't help but tremble slightly, unsure whether it was joy or sorrow. She only felt a sourness welling up in her heart, but it was dispelled by a quietly rising joy.
But if she really liked her, why had Ji Fengxue never said anything?
Perhaps it was all her imagination. Was it just that this edit, combined with the melancholic background music and the fan-made videos from shippers, had led her to this situation?
"What are you doing?" Xiang Huaimeng pushed the door open and walked to her side. Seeing her head bowed, she bent down to look and was immediately startled. "Why are you crying? Who bullied you?"
Xia Linxia was startled. She touched her face and realized tears had fallen without her noticing. She took a tissue and wiped her face, temporarily suppressing her chaotic thoughts. She said, "It's all Le Qingyi."
"What's wrong with her? Did she dare to bully you?" Xiang Huaimeng asked in surprise.
Xia Linxia spread her hands. "Look at this video she edited. It's so heartbreaking, boo hoo hoo."
...
Xiang Huaimeng took a deep breath, stood up, and spun around once, then again, before finally asking impatiently, "So you're crying because of a fan-made video?!"
"Yeah, if you don't believe me, look," Xia Linxia sniffled and handed her phone over.
"Can you still function? I thought Zhao Tinglu had come to trouble you and bullied you," Xiang Huaimeng snatched the phone impatiently and glanced at it casually.
A moment later, Chen Nian, who was passing by the dressing room, suddenly stopped. Hearing the voices inside, she quickly knocked on the door. Finding it unlocked, she pushed it open.
Xia Linxia and Xiang Huaimeng, who were in the room with her, both looked over. The two of them were a crying mess, especially Xiang Huaimeng, who was sobbing, "Waaah, sob sob, Chen Nian, go check on Teacher Ji. Is she okay? Please tell her to be strong."
Xia Linxia added tearfully, "Tell her for me too, Xia Linxia is the best, it's worth becoming a fan."
Chen Nian: "?"
She quietly closed the door and excused herself.
"You're saying they're crying?" In another dressing room, Ji Fengxue looked at Chen Nian in surprise and confirmed repeatedly, "Because of a fan-made video?"
"Yes."
Ji Fengxue paused for a few seconds, then curiously opened the video-sharing platform and watched Le Qingyi's new video. Afterward, she put down her phone and couldn't help but laugh.
Chen Nian asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Ji Fengxue laughed for a while before restraining her smile and said with a chuckle, "With such strong empathy, she should realize something now, right?"
Earlier, she had prompted Le Qingyi to edit the video in this direction, hoping that Xia Linxia would notice it and have an epiphany. She didn't expect Le Qingyi to be so fast and the content to be well-edited. Xia Linxia's reaction was an unexpected surprise.
In a good mood, she sent a generous red envelope to Le Qingyi, her great contributor.
Soon it was evening. The director said that other actors didn't need to wait on standby. They could eat dinner and go back to rest to recharge their energy.
Qiu Xingzhou was still thinking about video-calling his boyfriend back at the hotel. He was eating quickly but was caught by Xia Linxia in a corner.
"What?" Qiu Xingzhou held his lunchbox and sat on a rock without caring about his image. "Say it quickly if you have something to say. I have important matters."
Xia Linxia squatted beside him, rubbing her hands, and said, "I have a kissing scene later."
"Oh."
"I don't think I can film it well. What should I do?"
"Oh, it's not your first time." Qiu Xingzhou stopped eating, propped himself on his knees, and looked at her. "How many times did you mess up when you filmed with me before?"
Xia Linxia covered her face in frustration. "So, what if I mess up again this time?"
"Then we'll do it again. It's your girlfriend anyway. You can kiss as many times as you want, it's all profit," Qiu Xingzhou sighed enviously, then quickly ate his meal. "It would be great if my partner was also an actor. Then I could have public displays of affection with him."
...
Xia Linxia pinched her ear, feeling a bit hot. "Um, how did you overcome the discomfort of filming kissing scenes with other actresses?"
"I just imagined them as my partner, and that was enough."
...
Who should she imagine then?
As soon as this thought flashed through her mind, Ji Fengxue's face appeared in her mind.
"Don't worry, these intimate scenes are hard to get right on the first try. Either it's awkward or someone laughs. Didn't you see the director sent us all away? Clearly, he's prepared to film all night," Qiu Xingzhou comforted her.
One, all night?!
"But I see you're quite free now. Why don't you go practice with Teacher Ji? Why are you looking for me?" Qiu Xingzhou finished his last two bites of food, stood up, and patted his pants. "I'm leaving. You go find Teacher Ji."
Xia Linxia extended her hand like Er Kang, but she couldn't stop his cheerfully departing back.
She took a deep breath, took out a pack of gum, threw two pieces into her mouth, stood up, and spun in place, imagining the positioning later, practicing by herself.
She imagined someone in front of her, then slowly undressed her, pushed her onto the bed, and closed her eyes...
"Mwah mwah mwah..."
"Cough."
A voice appeared out of nowhere, startling her. She turned to look at the person who had arrived, her face flushing. "Why didn't you make any noise when you walked!"
"Why wouldn't I? You were too engrossed," Ji Fengxue leaned her shoulder, only a meter or two away from her, leaning against the wall and smiling.
Xia Linxia awkwardly put her hands behind her back, twisting her fingers.
Ji Fengxue smiled charmingly and looked at the sky. The sun was setting, and a large patch of red glow was slowly sinking from beyond the mountains. Xia Linxia stood in front of her, with her back to the last ray of sunlight, exuding a warm aura that made people want to get closer and possess her.
She curved her lips and said, "I'm right here. Do you want to practice the scene?"
"H-how do we practice?"
Xia Linxia was slightly flustered. The next moment, she saw the other person take her hand and gently push her back. The situation reversed, and her back was pressed against the wall.
"Look at me, don't move," Ji Fengxue climbed onto her shoulders.
Xia Linxia held her breath, looking at her without blinking.
"Close your eyes."
Xia Linxia's eyelashes fluttered rapidly twice, and she slowly closed her eyes. Feeling the other person getting closer, her heart suddenly leaped into her throat. Her hands, hanging by her sides, trembled slightly, then clenched into fists, her palms starting to sweat.
Ji Fengxue looked at the face that was within reach, her eyes full of tenderness. She said softly, "Remember this feeling. Listen to me later."
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