Against the Light - Chapter 49
Chapter 49: A Little Dress?
The Friday Gu Xinran had been eagerly awaiting finally arrived. She woke up extra early and, without even waiting for Fang Jinghai to pick her up, drove to the set herself.
When Yu Hua arrived, she saw Gu Xinran standing at the door of the break room, peeking inside. She walked over and gave her a light kick.
"What are you doing here so early? Trying to make it seem like you're so dedicated and everyone else is a slacker?"
"Not at all~" Gu Xinran smiled sheepishly and followed Yu Hua into the room.
Once inside, Yu Hua put down her bag, changed into a small vest for filming, and swapped her shoes for a pair of flats. She was busy getting herself ready when she turned her head and saw Gu Xinran still standing by the door, watching her, looking like she wanted to say something but was holding back.
"Something on your mind?"
"Uh… no." Gu Xinran pressed her lips together, waited a moment, and then asked, "Um, Teacher Yu, is your phone charged? Should I charge it for you?"
Yu Hua paused, then it dawned on her that it was Friday. No wonder this girl was being so attentive first thing in the morning. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"If you have something to say, just say it. If not, go wait outside. What, do you want to watch me change my underwear too?"
Gu Xinran froze and quickly covered her eyes with her hands. She wouldn't dare!
Her reaction made Yu Hua laugh.
"Alright, I know what you're up to. Just wait. Yilan usually calls me, but it's not necessarily every week."
"I'll wait!"
Yu Hua glanced at her and gestured for her to sit.
Gu Xinran sat down obediently, her heart pounding with anxiety.
Suddenly, a phone rang. She froze for a second, then shot to her feet, looking at Yu Hua in a panic.
Yu Hua was perfectly calm. She took out her phone and glanced at it.
"Oh, sorry, that was my alarm."
"…???"
Yu Hua placed her phone on the table and continued getting ready.
Gu Xinran shot her a resentful look and sat back down, telling herself to stay calm.
A minute later, the phone rang again!
Gu Xinran looked over expectantly.
"Oh, still the alarm. I forgot to turn it off."
"…!!!"
Gu Xinran took a deep breath, fighting the urge to complain. What on earth did she need to set an alarm for at this time of day!?
Yu Hua adjusted her collar, catching a glimpse of Gu Xinran in the mirror. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself. The girl's face was flushed red from holding it all in!
A moment later, the phone rang again!
This time, Gu Xinran didn't get excited. Instead, she listened carefully to the ringtone. After three seconds, she realized it was different from before and quickly looked at Yu Hua.
"She actually called." Yu Hua glanced at the screen and chuckled. Were these two telepathically linked or something?
Gu Xinran took a deep breath, one hand over her heart, trying to suppress her excitement. "Teacher, please don't tell her I'm here! Just talk to her like you normally would."
Yu Hua nodded, answered the call, and thoughtfully put it on speaker.
"Hello? Yilan? On a break?"
"Yeah, Teacher. I haven't called you in a few days. How have you been?"
Hearing that familiar voice, Gu Xinran couldn't help but smile. But a second later, she felt something was off. Yilan's voice was very nasal. Did she have a cold?
"I'm doing great. We're quite a bit ahead of schedule on this film, so I'm happy overall. Nothing to worry about."
"That's good."
"Hm? Your voice sounds a little off. Did you catch a cold?" Yu Hua hadn't noticed at first, but Gu Xinran had scribbled a note on a piece of paper to alert her.
"I went out to scout locations yesterday and got a little chilled. It's nothing. I just took some medicine. I'll be fine tomorrow after a good night's sleep."
Hearing this, Gu Xinran nodded, feeling slightly relieved.
"You have to take good care of yourself when you're out there alone."
"I know~"
"!?" Gu Xinran was stunned. The way Yilan drew out that last word, with a rising inflection, sounded just like… she was pouting coquettishly!
Aww!
She could already picture Yilan's playful expression as she said it!
Gu Xinran clutched her chest, smiling secretly to herself. Yu Hua glanced at her. This person was grinning like a fool. What was wrong with her?
"Um… Teacher, how has Xinran been lately?"
Gu Xinran snapped back to reality. Yilan… actually mentioned her!
"She's doing fine, too. Why don't you just call her directly?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end.
"Her career is finally starting to take off. I don't want to distract her. As long as she's doing well, I can rest easy."
A warmth spread through Gu Xinran's heart, and she nodded silently.
"Alright then. Is there anything you want me to pass on to her?" Seeing Gu Xinran's expression, Yu Hua felt a pang of sympathy for her and kindly offered to help.
"No. Everything I want to say, she already knows."
Yu Hua frowned and looked at Gu Xinran, only to see her smiling and nodding again, as if in agreement. Were these two really on the same wavelength?
"Okay, then. If there's nothing else, you should get some rest."
"Okay. Goodnight, Teacher."
Only after Yu Hua hung up did Gu Xinran whisper to the phone, "Goodnight."
"Alright, you. Stop being so sickeningly sweet here. Go on, get out and play." Seeing Gu Xinran's deeply affectionate expression, Yu Hua waved her hand dismissively.
"Thank you, Teacher Yu!" Gu Xinran gave her a slight bow in sincere gratitude.
"If you're really grateful, then help me coach Qin Qiong a bit. Compared to you guys, her foundation is still a little weak."
"Of course, no problem!"
Leaving the break room, Gu Xinran was in high spirits, even humming a little tune.
The other actors began to arrive one by one, and the crew started setting up the equipment, preparing to start filming.
Before shooting began, Gu Xinran pulled Qin Qiong aside. She went over the scenes Qin Qiong was scheduled to film that day, running lines with her several times and carefully explaining some key points. Qin Qiong had been coached by her on the show before and knew that in this industry, there weren't many people who would genuinely teach others. As a result, she trusted Gu Xinran completely.
Under Gu Xinran's guidance, Qin Qiong's scenes went very smoothly. The director was extremely satisfied and also thought to himself that Gu Xinran seemed to have a talent for directing. Her grasp of acting rhythm and key points was spot-on, and she could even see the bigger picture. Truly remarkable! It seemed his own job was in even more danger!
During the lunch break, everyone went off to do their own thing. Qin Qiong pulled Gu Xinran along, asking for more advice. Gu Xinran generously shared everything she knew. Ren Wei, who was nearby, overheard them and found it interesting, so she secretly sidled over to eavesdrop. When Gu Xinran saw her, she invited her to join them, and the three of them began studying the upcoming scenes together.
"Su Yu, did you watch last night's episode of Star Wardrobe? That little formal dress Ye Ting designed was amazing! I'd love to see my idol wear it!" someone shouted.
"Not yet. I was so tired yesterday I just went home and slept. I'll watch it now!" Su Yu replied, immediately taking out her phone to find the variety show.
The three of them had been studying the script, but they suddenly noticed that everyone on set was gathering around.
"Ye Ting? I know her. She's a pretty famous designer. I've even bought a haute couture piece from her brand. The craftsmanship and design are excellent," Qin Qiong said, her curiosity piqued.
"Let's go have a look." The three of them walked over. In an instant, more than half the crew was huddled together, watching the show.
Su Yu fast-forwarded to Ye Ting's appearance.
On screen, Ye Ting was wearing a black bodycon dress that showed off her stunning curves, giving her a mature and sexy look.
"Ooh, you rarely see her dressed like this. She's usually so conservative!"
"Hey, it's the semi-finals, after all."
"Now I'm curious what she'll wear for the finale!"
"Hold on, fast-forward."
Ye Ting rattled on for a while, but no one was listening. All eyes were on the model who was about to take the stage.
A moment later, the stage lights dimmed. Countless beams of light swept across the area before converging on the edge of the stage.
The model gracefully appeared, instantly drawing a thunderous round of applause and cheers!
The model had delicate features and an extraordinary aura, and her long legs were particularly eye-catching. She was wearing a small, exquisite, and elegant white formal dress.
The dress fit her figure perfectly, with narrow shoulders and a cinched waist. The skirt had three layers: the outermost layer was the shortest, the innermost the longest. The inner fabric was heavier, while the outer layer was a light gauze, creating a beautiful sense of depth.
The entire dress incorporated floral elements. From the shoulders to the hem, it was adorned with a multitude of petals. These petals were hand-sewn and placed just right, avoiding any sense of clutter and creating an overall elegant and serene look.
"Wow! This dress is gorgeous! That layer of fine tassels on the side gives it such an ethereal vibe!"
"Aah! Who wouldn't want such a pretty little dress!! I want to see my idol in a pretty little dress! And a nine-photo grid post, girls, I'm gonna die!"
"Get a grip. Ye Ting said this dress isn't for sale. It's the only one in the world, a collector's item."
"Waaah, I want it!"
"Stop whining. With your bucket waist, you couldn't fit into the little dress even if you had it~"
"Hahahaha—"
"Ye Ting is awesome! The internet was full of rumors that her talent had run dry and she couldn't design anything good anymore. This is a huge slap in the face to those people!"
"But why do I feel like the design style of this dress is a bit different from her previous work? Isn't her style usually more aloof and somber, emphasizing aura over figure? Why has she fallen into clichés?"
"You call this dress cliché? It's so ethereal!"
"Look, even her personal style has changed. It's normal for her design style to change too."
"Whatever, as long as it's pretty, that's all that matters!"
"Tsk, her performance in the last two rounds was mediocre, with no standout pieces. Turns out she was saving up for a big move. Now she's shot into the finals with a huge lead in votes. I can't wait to see what she comes up with for the finale!"
The crew members chattered excitedly, all exclaiming how beautiful it was. Qin Qiong nodded along, telling Ren Wei how gorgeous the dress was. If she could wear it on the red carpet, she'd definitely be the brightest star there!
However, as Qin Qiong continued to watch, she felt that something was off, especially when the camera zoomed in.
A layered skirt, a form-fitting silhouette, petals adorning the dress…
Hiss…
Qin Qiong frowned. Why did this dress look so familiar? Had she seen it somewhere before…?
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