MQSP - Chapter 31
Chapter 31
This week, Lin Yuqing had been busy until the early hours of the morning almost every day. There were numerous fight scenes during the day and night shoots to rush through in the evening. It was incredibly exhausting. She didn't even have time for makeup touch-ups, wearing her costume all day long. Not only was it unbearably hot, but the parts of her skin under the armor were chafed raw. Furthermore, for someone of Lin Yuqing's age, a continuous week of high-intensity filming was starting to take its toll.
Hearing that there was another night shoot today, Baiye couldn't sit still. Seeing Auntie Lin collapse from exhaustion every evening made her heart ache. No matter what, she wanted to stay and keep Lin Yuqing company today. Even if she couldn't help, she just wanted to be there to watch over her. Besides, she had a perfectly legitimate reason today: they were filming the final scene of the childhood arc, which meant Xiao Bao and the other little ones were wrapping up.
During dinner, the makeup artist squeezed in time to touch up Lin Yuqing's makeup. Lin Yuqing only took a few bites; she had another fight scene soon and was afraid that eating too much would make her uncomfortable during filming.
As she seized the moment to rest, she noticed Baiye was still over there playing with the kids. It was already past seven, and the sky was getting dark. What was she still doing here?
She quickly waved Xia Xiaozi over, glanced in Baiye's direction, and questioned her with her eyes.
"This one's being stubborn today. She insists on waiting to go back with you."
"She's being ridiculous and you're just letting her?"
"Oh, my, my. She's got a powerful backer now, someone's got her back. I wouldn't dare cross her!" Xia Xiaozi's words were dripping with sarcasm, but Lin Yuqing didn't pick up on it.
"A backer? Who?"
"Fine, forget I said anything." Isn't it you, being all protective of your food?
"Alright, if she wants to watch, then let her. She can't sleep soundly at home anyway." Xia Xiaozi recalled how every night for the past few days, Xiao Ye would come out of her bedroom when they got home, clearly waiting for them. She wouldn't listen no matter how many times they told her not to. She couldn't manage this child anymore, so she might as well let her be.
"You've spoiled her rotten!"
Xia Xiaozi was practically bent out of shape with grievance.
As for the little ones, they had also had an incredibly tough few days. Just then, Xiao Bao was whining for Baiye to hold her. She snuggled up against Baiye and fell asleep. Baiye's heart ached just looking at her. Just how exhausted must this child be?
Fortunately, the childhood scenes were about to end.
"Alright, come on, everyone, hang in there just a little longer! This is the last shot, and then we can wrap up early and rest today," Su Yu called out. Hearing this, the crew members were instantly energized, as if they'd been injected with chicken blood, and threw themselves back into their work.
Baiye woke Xiao Bao up. The little girl was grumpy and threw a tantrum, but thankfully Xiao Bao's mother was on set, otherwise Baiye would have had a real headache on her hands.
Lin Yuqing stood up, stretched, and moved around a bit while listening to Su Yu explain the scene. Her gaze inadvertently searched for Baiye in the crowd. This little one hadn't really seen her act much, had she? This was a perfect chance to put on a good show for her, to let her see what a true veteran actress could do!
This scene was about An Xi being trapped deep within enemy lines and captured alive by the giant King of the Xi. However, using her own intelligence, she devises a plan to coordinate with An Luocheng from the inside, annihilating the Xi people in one fell swoop.
In this part, An Xi is in grave danger and is nearly beaten to death by the King of the Xi. At the critical moment, An Luocheng arrives with reinforcements and saves her from his clutches. Little An Xi is completely captivated by Commander An, and a certain seed begins to sprout in her heart. This was considered the scene where An Xi's feelings for An Luocheng were sealed.
Su Yu called for the extras to get into position. The two armies faced off, though these two armies were… a bit pathetic, with only about twenty people on each side. Su Yu explained that it was a small-budget production, so the armies would have to be handled in post-production. She told everyone to use their imagination and picture thousands of troops beside them!
Then she called Xiao Bao over and explained the key points to her. For example, a very tall big brother would grab her by the neck and hold her in mid-air, but she would be wearing a wire harness and he wouldn't really choke her. She had to make it look realistic, though. And that big brother was over two meters tall, so she had to look up at him. Of course, he wasn't really two meters tall; she had to imagine him as a giant. In post-production, he would be edited to look like a monster, and so on.
This kind of performance, which relied on imagination, was a little difficult. Baiye was a bit worried about whether the little girl could pull it off. But it was clear she had underestimated a child's imagination. Before they even started filming, the kids saw a man in an animal-skin costume walk over and immediately started circling him, shouting things like, "Giant, monster, alien…"
The young actor looked helpless. "Little ancestors, please go easy on me when you hit me later."
The little ones giggled, looking unbearably cute.
Seeing that everyone was more or less ready, Su Yu quickly called for them to begin.
With Su Yu's command, the sound of war drums thundered through the studio, and the camera focused on several extras locked in fierce combat.
"Hey—An Xi, we're here to save you!" the little girl playing An Duo shouted at Su Yu's signal.
The young actor playing the King of the Xi heard her and looked over, his gaze following the child's line of sight to the little An Xi standing at his feet.
"What is she saying?" he asked, his tone dark and vicious.
"Ah? N-no… I don't know. They're too far away, I couldn't hear clearly either." Little An Xi quickly forced herself to remain calm. She had deceived the King of the Xi with a false identity; she couldn't be exposed now!
"An Xi—don't be afraid—we're here—" Little An Duo yelled out again!!
"An my ass!!!" An Xi couldn't help but curse.
The next second, she was lifted into the air, the King of the Xi's hand around her neck.
"Your name is An Xi?" the King of the Xi glared at her.
"No no no no no… Your Majesty… it's a… cough… a misunderstanding…"
"Who are you, really?" The King of the Xi's eyes were filled with malice.
"I… am just an… ordinary… soldier…"
"Help… help me…"
Su Yu gave a thumbs-up and nodded at Lin Yuqing, signaling her to enter the scene. Lin Yuqing had been itching to go for a while now!
With a swoosh, a silver spear grazed the King of the Xi's arm. He cried out in alarm and released his grip on An Xi.
Little An Xi's body plummeted downwards, only to be caught steadily just before hitting the ground.
An Luocheng caught An Xi just in time, even spinning on the ground to stylishly absorb the force of the fall.
Little An Xi clutched her head and opened her eyes. When she saw who had saved her, she was visibly stunned, her small eyes sparkling!
An Luocheng was dressed in bright silver armor and a black cape. The silver-stamped character for "An" on the cape was particularly dazzling. A long, glossy black ponytail cascaded down to her waist. She looked incredibly handsome.
"Are you all right?" she asked faintly.
"You're… so… so handsome…" Little An Xi stared blankly for another moment before stammering out the words.
But as soon as she finished speaking, a "CLANG…" was heard…
An Luocheng's spear fell directly to the ground.
Seeing this, many people snickered. Even Su Yu couldn't hold back her laughter. "Well, An Luocheng is certainly a woman with… a dropping style."
Lin Yuqing seemed to have heard her comment and couldn't help but break character and laugh. No, seriously, how could a brilliant and martial grand marshal get so flustered by a casual compliment from a little kid that she dropped her spear? This was completely out of character!
"Can we change this part?" Lin Yuqing protested.
"No. It's these unexpected little humorous moments that make it interesting," Su Yu flatly refused.
"Come on, let's go again."
Lin Yuqing was speechless. This wasn't cool at all!
She was too embarrassed to even look at Xiao Ye. That girl was probably snickering too!
She put Xiao Bao down, silently picked up her spear, and moved to the side.
Watching her retrieve the spear, Baiye simply couldn't hold back her laughter. Auntie Lin looked so wronged.
They started the retake, and everything went smoothly until they reached that part again.
"You're… so… so handsome…"
"CLANG…"
An Luocheng's spear fell to the ground.
She herself froze for a second, and the little An Xi in her arms was also stunned. The two of them simultaneously looked down at the spear by their feet.
"Mm," An Luocheng grunted, trying to flick the spear up with the tip of her foot. The spear was supposed to be attached to a wire, so when she hooked it, a crew member would pull it up. But for some reason, they failed to coordinate. She kicked the shaft of the spear, sending it even farther away.
The two of them once again looked down in unison at the spear on the ground. It was incredibly awkward.
"Cut. What's wrong with you, are you nervous?" Su Yu was dying of laughter. Why was she making such rookie mistakes today!
"Ahem, let's go again." Lin Yuqing cleared her throat, forcing herself to remain calm. She threw a seemingly casual glance at Xiao Ye, who was snickering beside Su Yu. That was it. She had completely lost face today.
"Alright, get ready."
This time, Lin Yuqing adjusted her mindset, and it went very smoothly. She hooked the spear up with one foot, turned to place little An Xi on the ground, and began to battle the King of the Xi.
Seeing he was no match for her, the King of the Xi turned and fled behind the city gates. An Luocheng let out a fierce cry and gave chase, leaping with all her might through the closing gap just as the gates were about to shut.
As she entered the city, the fighting around them ceased. Everyone stared at the tightly shut gates with worried expressions.
A moment later, the city gates slowly opened. An Luocheng stood tall and graceful, her long spear held inverted in her hand. Around her lay the bodies of the Xi people.
The camera zoomed in on Lin Yuqing's heroic face. A wind machine blew from the side, sending her waist-length hair dancing in the wind. The cape behind her billowed dramatically. She looked incomparably heroic.
Baiye stared intently at Lin Yuqing through the monitor and couldn't help but swallow. This version of Auntie Lin was truly handsome!
"Cut!" Su Yu yelled. The crowd couldn't help but cheer. They had finally wrapped for the day!
"Alright, that's it for today. Great work, everyone, especially the little ones. You've officially wrapped!" Su Yu said, leading the applause as everyone else joined in.
"I haven't had enough of acting yet," Xiao Bao pouted, looking unhappy.
"Oh, you." Su Yu tapped her on the forehead, picked her up, and affectionately nuzzled her cheek. "You did a great job. Thank you for your hard work. You have a real talent for acting, but right now you should focus on your studies and enrich yourself."
"Mmm, Auntie Su, will you miss me when I'm gone?"
"Of course I will. It'll be too quiet without you all making a ruckus."
"Hehe, can I still come visit the set?"
"Of course. Come whenever you want. You're always welcome." Su Yu put Xiao Bao down and looked at the circle of little ones gathered around her, patting each of their heads. "You can come back to visit anytime. The doors to this set will always be open for you."
"Yay! Auntie Su is the best!"
"Well, if you called me Su Jiejie, I promise I'd be even better to you!"
Everyone burst into laughter, and amidst the warm sound, the child actors took their final bow.
It was already very late. Worried that it wasn't safe for Baiye to go home alone, Xia Xiaozi gave her the car keys and told her to wait for them in the car.
Before long, the two of them arrived.
Xia Xiaozi glanced around cautiously before starting the car.
Lin Yuqing reclined her seat and lay back with her eyes closed. She was so embarrassed today. She had wanted to show off in front of the little one, but her plan had backfired spectacularly. She felt like she couldn't even face her!
Baiye had no idea what she was thinking and just assumed she was exhausted, so she didn't say anything to disturb her.
"By the way, Xiao Ye, didn't you say Lu Qing put you in touch with a manager? What happened with that? I haven't heard anything," Xia Xiaozi asked curiously.
"Um… I think that senior, Fang, didn't want to take me on."
"Fang Yi?"
"Hm? You know her?"
"Tsk, your auntie has been in this business for ten years. Is it so strange that I know a few people?"
"You met her?" Lin Yuqing suddenly spoke up.
"Hm? I did. Uh, well… how should I put it…" Baiye recalled Fang Yi's disheveled appearance and couldn't help but think she seemed very unreliable…
She briefly described her meeting with her that day. To her surprise, Auntie Lin let out a sigh, which Baiye found very strange.
Not long after the three of them had left, the interior light of a car parked in a nearby spot in the lot suddenly switched on.
The person inside, looking thrilled and excited, took out their phone and dialed a number.
"Didn't I tell you not to call me unless it's important?"
"Senior Sister Jingwen, I'm in the parking lot. Guess who I just saw Gu Baiye with! You'll never guess!!!"
Before Ye Jingwen could respond, Wu Mengmeng couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Lin Yuqing! It was Lin Yuqing! I saw Gu Baiye get into Lin Yuqing's car, with that Xia Xiaozi. The three of them drove off together!"
"What? Gu Baiye got into Lin Yuqing's car??" Ye Jingwen on the other end sounded clearly surprised.
"What is it?" Before Wu Mengmeng could say anything, another woman's voice came through the phone, and it seemed she had snatched the device.
"What did you just say? Say it again."
Hearing this voice, Wu Mengmeng panicked. Wasn't that Boss Xue Yuexian? Why was Senior Sister with Xue Yuexian so late at night? Could the company rumors about her being kept by a big shot actually be true…
"Xue… Xue Jie…" Wu Mengmeng swallowed nervously. She felt like she had accidentally stumbled upon a huge secret…
"Speak. What did you see?"
"I saw… Gu Baiye get into Lin Yuqing's car. The two of them left together, all secretively!"
"Who is Gu Baiye?"
"A student from Chuan Ying, the one who stole Senior Sister's role. On set, this Gu Baiye is always going to Lin Yuqing's dressing room. No one else is allowed in, but she can go in. There's definitely something going on between them!"
"Do you have a photo? Send it to me."
"Uh, yes."
"Mm." Xue Yuexian hung up the phone and began pacing the room.
"Looks like this Lin Yuqing is just an ordinary mortal after all. I thought she was so high and mighty, but it turns out she's into this sort of thing too. It must have been hard for her to not have any scandals for so many years." Xue Yuexian began scheming about what kind of story she could spin from this to drag Lin Yuqing through the mud. Sponsoring a female student, a same-sex scandal—either one would be enough to ruin her reputation!
A notification chimed. The photo had arrived. She immediately opened it. It was a group photo of several girls in armor. The quiet, well-behaved-looking girl on the end was circled in red—that must be Gu Baiye. Xue Yuexian frowned, zoomed in on the picture, and couldn't help but marvel, "This Lin Yuqing has good taste."
Xue Yuexian tossed the phone to Ye Jingwen, her mind racing. If someone else exposed this scandal, Lin Yuqing's PR team was no pushover. In that case, it would be better to make her jump out herself. Besides, this Gu Baiye looked quite good. It had been a while since she'd had a taste of a pure and cute newcomer. She just wondered if this girl was as pure as she looked on the surface.
If Lin Yuqing chose to play it safe and protect herself, then this little newcomer would be her meal for the taking.
Xue Yuexian licked her lips, her mind full of filthy thoughts, sending a chill down Ye Jingwen's spine.
Meanwhile, Baiye had no idea she had been targeted by a lecherous big shot.
Back at home, Xia Xiaozi went to the kitchen to prepare a late-night snack, while Baiye went to the bathroom in Lin Yuqing's room to run her a bath.
Just as she was testing the water temperature, Lin Yuqing came in, wearing a sheer, gauze-like robe. Her fine figure was faintly visible beneath it, causing the little one's face to flush red.
"Why are you always blushing? Are you sick?" Lin Yuqing was completely baffled. Why did this kid blush at the drop of a hat?
Baiye lowered her head. Could she possibly say that she was once again remembering the sight of Auntie Lin's chest from that day? Supported by her bra, it had been so round and full, truly…
As Baiye recalled the image, her face grew even redder. "You should take your bath. I'll go now." She made a decisive escape.
Just as she left the bedroom, she suddenly remembered something and quickly turned back. Seeing the bathroom door was ajar, she pushed it open. "Lin A—AH—" Baiye let out a sharp scream, clapping both hands over her eyes. She had just… she had just seen Auntie Lin's na…ked… body!!!
Lin Yuqing had her back to the door and was startled by the scream. She glanced back. She hadn't even reacted yet, so why was this kid having such a huge reaction??
She pulled the half-removed robe back up, forcing herself to remain calm. "What is it?"
"I just wanted to remind you that the scraped part on your shoulder can't soak in water for too long…" Baiye said, keeping her eyes covered the entire time.
"Got it."
Baiye exited the room with her eyes squeezed shut, only daring to open them after she had closed the door behind her. She took several deep breaths to calm her racing heart. Once she had finally calmed down, Baiye paused. Strange, why was she so nervous? Auntie Lin hadn't even reacted that much and had been so composed. No, she had to learn from her, she couldn't keep getting flustered over every little thing!
She mulled it over for a moment and almost laughed at herself.
Back in the bathroom, Lin Yuqing's pretty face was as red as if it had been boiled. If Baiye had left just two seconds later, she would have seen a very different-colored Auntie Lin.
Lin Yuqing was furious. Doesn't she know to knock before entering? Has it been too long since she's been disciplined? Has she forgotten such basic manners?
To be seen completely naked by this little brat, how was she supposed to maintain her magnificent image now!?
The more Lin Yuqing thought about it, the angrier she became. As she started to take off her robe again, she reflexively pulled it back up, afraid Baiye might suddenly burst in again.
This was too much, way too much. Whether she did it on purpose or not, she had to get her back for this!
Lin Yuqing locked the door before she finally dared to undress and get in the bath.
"What's wrong with you? What was all that screaming about up there?" In the kitchen, Xia Xiaozi asked when she saw the dazed-looking girl walk in.
"Hm? N-nothing." Baiye was still in a stupor. The image of Auntie Lin's fair, exquisite body was seared into her mind, and she couldn't get it out. She even started imagining a steamy scene in the bathroom, with mist swirling around, and Auntie Lin walking gracefully towards her, draped in a sheer robe. As she moved, the robe would slowly fall to the floor, revealing Auntie Lin's exquisite naked body right before her eyes…
"Ugh!" Baiye suddenly gasped, clapped a hand over her nose, and turned to run.
Xia Xiaozi turned her head and saw a drop of blood on the floor. Seeing Baiye run off clutching her nose, she was alarmed and quickly chased after her.
"Xiao Ye, what's wrong? Did you get a nosebleed?" Xia Xiaozi followed her into the room, but the kid had locked herself in the bathroom.
Baiye had no time to deal with her. She was frantically splashing water on her face. Getting a nosebleed from thinking about Auntie Lin's body… if word of this got out, people would laugh her to death, wouldn't they…
Lin Yuqing came out after her bath, looking for Xia Xiaozi to get some ointment. She saw her rummaging through cabinets and drawers. "What are you looking for?"
"Medicine to reduce internal heat. I think Xiao Ye is overheated. She just had a nosebleed."
"A nosebleed?" Lin Yuqing was taken aback.
Hearing a door open behind her, Lin Yuqing turned to see Baiye coming out of her bedroom, two balls of tissue stuffed up her nose. The moment the kid saw Lin Yuqing's back, her mind went hot, and the clean tissue balls were visibly stained red again. The little one hastily ran back into her room.
Lin Yuqing stood with her hands on her hips, staring at the spot where the kid had run off. Are you sure she's just overheated??
The more I look at her, the more it seems like she's asking for a beating.
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