Shrine - Chapter 27
Chapter 27
The next day, Ruan Ruan woke up bright and early. She went to the market to buy some groceries, then returned with a carton of milk and eggs. By the time Shi Ran got out of bed, Ruan Ruan was scrubbing the kitchen.
The suite's Western-style kitchen was clean, but it was clear the pots and pans had hardly been used. She had specifically bought a piece of fatty pork to season the wok.
"You're awake?" She glanced at Shi Ran, who was wearing a bathrobe. The self-discipline of a top actress permeated every aspect of her life; even fresh out of bed, there wasn't a hint of fatigue. Her slightly messy hair seemed like a devoted follower. When she blinked, it was as if she were lightly brushing away the night's frost from her face.
"Making breakfast?" Shi Ran untied the belt of her bathrobe, then casually tied it again.
"Yeah, I'm going to test out the stove first. Sorry for not giving you a heads-up."
"It's fine, make yourself at home." Shi Ran yawned, her voice muffled, and swept her hair to one side with the back of her hand.
Ruan Ruan reached for a pot, her eyes crinkling with a smile. "So, what would you like to eat? There's milk and fried eggs. If you have a good appetite, want to try my pickled vegetable and shredded pork noodles?"
"Is it good?"
"Mei Mei says it is, anyway." Ruan Ruan washed the pot.
Shi Ran was noncommittal, but Ruan Ruan understood. She glanced at her phone. "Twenty minutes. Go wash up."
"Thanks."
Ruan Ruan's pickled vegetable and shredded pork noodles were indeed superb. She had specially bought fresh noodles that were perfectly al dente and chewy. The topping was freshly stir-fried shredded pork, and the pickled vegetables were the common Fuling variety, but she used them sparingly, just enough to enhance the flavor. A sprinkle of green onions garnished the dish, releasing a fragrant, oily aroma. Without many seasonings, it was still enough to make one's mouth water.
She first stirred the noodles for Shi Ran, squinting slightly in the rising steam. The little cat officer had transformed into a little cat chef. If she had worn an apron, the image would have been even more complete.
But she hadn't brought a change of clothes and was wearing Shi Ran's white shirt. The cuffs were rolled up high, the shoulder line drooped, and the sleeves were very loose. Only the area below her collarbones naturally propped up the fabric, creating suggestive shadows with every movement.
Shi Ran had never understood why some people loved seeing their girlfriends wear their clothes. Now, she was starting to get it. She sat coolly at the table, watching Ruan Ruan, and blinked slowly.
After breakfast, Shi Ran and Ruan Ruan washed the dishes together, then sat in the living room to read their scripts. Shi Ran reviewed the scenes for today's call sheet, while Ruan Ruan read Shrine. She borrowed a hotel ballpoint pen from Shi Ran and took notes as she read, occasionally asking Shi Ran questions about parts she didn't understand, as docile as a university student who had never stepped into the real world.
She still couldn't help but read aloud under her breath, but with Shi Ran beside her, she tried her best to restrain herself. Her ears turned red from the effort, and her reading pace slowed.
Her eyelashes fluttered up and down. Shi Ran glanced at her. "You can read it out loud. You won't disturb me."
"Really?"
"I've memorized scripts on the street while filming before," Shi Ran said, her expression neutral.
She had even filmed at tourist spots, with enthusiastic uncles and aunties outside the set barricades filming her with their phones, shouting, "Shi Ran! Shi Ran!" all while she had to pour her heart out to her co-star. The co-star only needed to be filmed from the back, and his face was a mottled green and blue, as if he'd been beaten up.
Ruan Ruan was very curious about Shi Ran's past collaborations and leaned over the coffee table to listen as she occasionally shared a story or two.
Her thirst for knowledge made it seem as if Shi Ran were her professor—and in a sense, she was. The classes she took at Chunmei Arts Academy were perfunctory, not as systematic or scientific as those at a proper drama academy. She told Shi Ran that she later watched videos of drama academy students doing exercises to liberate their natural instincts and realized what she had learned was more like a shamanistic dance.
She laughed at her own expense. Shi Ran didn't laugh, but watched her with a focused, thoughtful gaze.
Ruan Ruan suddenly leaned closer, frowning. "Did you get a pimple?"
Her voice was very soft.
"Did I?" Shi Ran raised her eyebrows slightly and looked down at her.
Ruan Ruan reached out and carefully touched the spot below the corner of her mouth. "Mhm, right here. Is it a pimple?"
She had wanted to ask if it hurt when touched—if it was red and swollen, it probably was. But they were too close, and her words came out like feathers, brushing against the tip of Shi Ran's nose.
Shi Ran's throat moved with a slight swallow.
Ruan Ruan pressed her lips together, a little annoyed with herself. She lifted her eyelids and looked at her softly. "Was breakfast too greasy? Can it be covered up?" She was worried about continuity.
But she saw something else in Shi Ran's eyes. The next second, a presence like cool snow swept over her. Shi Ran tilted her head and captured her lower lip.
They shared a quiet kiss for about ten seconds. Then Shi Ran pulled back, her expression as calm as ever, her brow twitching slightly. "It should be fine."
"That's good." Ruan Ruan reined in her racing heart, pursed her still-moist lips, and lowered her head to continue reading the script.
Shi Ran turned a page, and in her peripheral vision, she saw the line of Ruan Ruan's lips shift slightly. Her tongue darted out in a secret, savoring motion.
Both of them felt a stir of desire, but it wasn't a good time. They had work in the afternoon.
Although they weren't hungry, they had an early lunch to accommodate the rundown schedule. Ruan Ruan made a simple meal of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, mapo tofu, braised eggplant, and a vegetable soup. Shi Ran helped with the prep work, her knife skills from a previous variety show still proving useful.
They chatted as they ate.
Ruan Ruan thought of the script she had just been reading. Holding her bowl, she considered something, hesitating whether to bring it up. "There's something I'd like to hear your thoughts on."
She had no experience in this area and didn't know who else to ask.
Shi Ran glanced at her, signaling for her to continue.
Ruan Ruan chose her words carefully. "I told you I have a best friend who's also my assistant, Wu Mei. Do you remember her? I was thinking, after I join the cast, could I recommend her for a role? It doesn't have to be a major part. She was originally an extra, so I think she'd be really happy just to have a few lines to work with."
"Um… her acting is decent. She often runs lines with me at home. Anyway, she's no worse than I am."
She felt a little embarrassed. She hadn't even secured her own footing, hadn't even signed a contract, yet here she was trying to make another request. Would Shi Ran think she didn't know her place, that she was pushing her luck?
But once filming for Shrine started, it would likely be for more than half a year. She couldn't let Wu Mei just be her assistant the whole time. And if they were to part ways, she wouldn't feel at ease with Wu Mei going off to find work on other sets by herself.
After speaking, she didn't dare look at Shi Ran, instead lowering her head and taking a mouthful of rice.
Shi Ran looked at her calmly. She wasn't thinking about anything else, just that Ruan Ruan and Wu Mei seemed to have a really good relationship.
Is she like this with everyone? So considerate, so meticulous, so dedicated. Just like this lunch—she could have shown off her cooking skills, but instead, she made it lighter than usual, mindful of Shi Ran's pimple.
"Talk to Xin Chen," Shi Ran said.
Ruan Ruan looked up. Shi Ran paused for a moment. "I'm not sure what kind of role you want to recommend her for, but besides you, Zhong Yi, and two or three veteran actors who are anchoring the anthology units, the rest of the cast will probably be Xin Chen's own people."
"Xin Chen's people?" Ruan Ruan didn't understand.
Shi Ran gave a faint smile. "You don't think she only wants to make money from one drama, do you?"
"Xin Chen has transitioned to being a producer, an investor. Do you know what an investor is? It means she wants to control the entire supply chain." Shi Ran tilted her head slightly to look at her. "Short-form dramas create hits, long-form dramas create stars. If she can successfully launch new talent, the long-tail effect will be far more lucrative than a simple share of the profits."
"On the other hand, she signed a full film and television rights deal, which means she controls the development of the Shrine IP for at least the next ten years. She plans to make it a web series, adapt it into a major film. Using her own people is the most stable and convenient option."
"If you paid more attention to the business world, you'd be able to find out that an agency with Xin Chen's manager as its legal representative has already been registered."
This was a reminder. Ruan Ruan was entering the game, and it wasn't as simple as taking on a couple of small roles like before. Her focus couldn't just be on the acting.
"You're saying," Ruan Ruan put down her bowl and chopsticks, "that Xin Chen has already signed her own artists and plans to promote them through this drama."
Shi Ran nodded.
Ruan Ruan rested her chin on her hand, feeling a little apprehensive. If they were all her "own people," would she, the female lead, be able to hold her own on set?
Shi Ran looked up at her. "Scared?"
Ruan Ruan met her gaze, unconsciously rubbing her lips with her ring finger as she thought.
"What's there to be scared of?" Shi Ran let out a short laugh.
She put down her chopsticks, picked up a soup spoon, and gracefully ladled half a bowl of soup for herself.
"She'll promote them, and I'll promote you."
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