MQSP - Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Today was the day filming would finally begin for the actors playing the younger versions of the characters. Everyone was rubbing their hands together, saying they had been waiting for a long time. After all, they had been tormented by Yang Ping for days, and now they could finally escape her clutches. It would be strange if they weren't happy!
Everyone arrived at the set early to change into their costumes and get their makeup done, their faces alight with excitement. Su Yu also arrived early. Seeing the group so full of energy, she was very pleased. However, after spending the last half-month with Gu Baiye, Su Yu was now even more worried about whether she could portray An Xi's roguishness. She had been so busy catching up on the schedule that she hadn't had time to train her. Now that they were back on track and no longer in a rush, Su Yu's mind started churning again.
She called Gu Baiye aside. "When Lin Yuqing arrives, go and say hello to her," she instructed.
"Huh?" Gu Baiye was a little baffled. She said hello to Auntie Lin every time.
"You need to greet her cheekily, not too formally."
"What?" Cheekily… how was she supposed to do that?
"And from now on, you have to be cheeky every time you see her. Maintain An Xi's persona, understand?"
"This…" Wouldn't Auntie Lin think she was a lunatic?
"Ah, here she comes."
Just as Gu Baiye was struggling with this, Su Yu suddenly patted her and pointed to Lin Yuqing, who was walking toward them not far away.
"Ah." Gu Baiye panicked a little as Su Yu nudged her toward Lin Yuqing.
On the way, Gu Baiye took several deep breaths, trying to figure out how to greet her cheekily. As she got closer, Lin Yuqing spotted her. She glanced over but said nothing, still resentful about yesterday's incident!
"Uhm… hehe, Teacher Lin, good morning~" Gu Baiye grinned, trying her best to appear lively and cheerful. When Lin Yuqing saw her like this, her eyes went wide.
She actually dares to grin at me? What does she mean by this? Is she proud that she saw my naked body? Huh? Isn't this a blatant provocation?
Lin Yuqing was furious. She shot her a harsh glare and walked around her.
Gu Baiye was completely dumbfounded.
What was wrong with Auntie Lin? Did she really dislike her cheeky smile?
Su Yu, who had been observing from a distance, naturally noticed Lin Yuqing's strange behavior as well. That was odd. Weren't they getting along fine just a few days ago? Why were they suddenly at odds again?
While getting her makeup done, Lin Yuqing kept her eyes closed, a look of displeasure on her face. The pressure in the makeup room dropped inexplicably.
The makeup artist was bewildered, not daring to breathe too loudly the entire time as she deftly applied the makeup.
Finally, it was time to start filming. Looking at the camera positions set up on the training ground, the young actors felt an inexplicable sense of excitement.
Before long, Lin Yuqing finished her makeup and came out. The moment the young actors saw the dashing and heroic Grand Marshal, they wanted to pounce on her and take a bite. Gu Baiye was even more affected. Staring at Auntie Lin in her suit of armor, her gaze was scorching hot, as if it could penetrate the metal and see the flawless skin beneath…
The training ground was a hive of activity, but in the cool shade of a nearby wall, a figure stood silently, watching everything.
"Well, well, Great Manager Fang. Weren't you uninterested? Why are you here peeking?" Lu Qing walked toward the figure with a smile. She had seen Fang Yi's car when she was parking earlier. As expected, this woman also said one thing and meant another.
Fang Yi glanced at her, then silently looked behind her, as if searching for a crack in the wall to disappear into.
"Can't I come take a look even if I'm not interested?"
"Of course, of course." Lu Qing fought to hold back her laughter.
"Why is Lin Yuqing here too?" Fang Yi frowned.
"Hmph, don't even get me started. It's Su Yu's doing. She actually invited Lin Yuqing to star in this drama. I only found out Lin Yuqing was in it during Baiye's audition."
"Su Yu even said that Lin Yuqing actively wanted to do it. Isn't that ridiculous?"
"If she hadn't told the media about Gu Xinran marrying a woman, what happened to Xinran and Yilan never would have happened. All of us were implicated, but Lin Yuqing managed to get out of it completely clean. Now she's hypocritically acting in a same-sex themed film. How can such a duplicitous person exist? And Su Yu is still friends with someone like that. It makes me so angry I want to punch her!"
Fang Yi said nothing, her hands clenching her arms tightly.
Only after she finished did Lu Qing realize she had touched a sore spot again. She quickly patted her shoulder to comfort her.
"This child… she seems to really like Lin Yuqing," Fang Yi said.
"That's what I'm worried about. She doesn't understand what kind of person Lin Yuqing is, just blindly idolizing her. She'll probably be heartbroken when she finds out Lin Yuqing is no good."
The two fell silent. On the training ground, Su Yu called out, preparing to start the day's filming.
The scenes after the characters reached adulthood mainly involved their battle of wits with the monarch.
As the adopted daughters grew up, the An family's position in the military became increasingly stable. The girls were far from useless; they helped An Luocheng manage the army with great efficiency. The grand army of the Yi Kingdom was now half composed of the An family's forces, which made the monarch deeply wary and unable to rest easy.
Furthermore, a rebellion had broken out in the neighboring Yu Kingdom. The Yu general Luo Qingyuan had overthrown the old ruler and established herself as king. Before seizing power, Luo Qingyuan had also been a general with immense military authority. With her as a precedent, the King of Yi feared that An Luocheng would follow in her footsteps. She even decided to lead the campaign herself, personally commanding the troops to attack the Yu Kingdom.
Su Yu gathered everyone to explain the scene, giving special attention to Chen Ying and Gu Baiye.
"In this scene, before the King of Yi arrives, you two have just returned from a mission. You report to An Luocheng about the situation at the border city and notice that she seems to have something on her mind. Afterward, An Xi secretly returns alone to ask her what's wrong. And since you haven't seen each other in over half a year, you have a tender moment. You get it?"
Su Yu gave a suggestive smile and wiggled her eyebrows at Gu Baiye. Baiye blushed slightly. "Ah…" she responded.
"Hey, don't you dare blush during the take." This girl blushed way too easily. Su Yu quickly reminded her.
"I'll… try my best." Gu Baiye didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She wanted to control it herself, but she just couldn't!
After Su Yu finished her explanation, the crew got into position. Once everything was ready, Su Yu called Lin Yuqing over. "You take the lead in a bit, guide her."
Lin Yuqing nodded. When it came to professional acting, she knew how to prioritize.
Seeing that everyone was ready, Su Yu gave the crew a look. "Action."
At Su Yu's command, Gu Baiye took a deep breath, calming her slightly excited heart.
In this scene, she and Chen Ying, who played An Liang, were going to An Luocheng's command tent to report. The training ground had already been transformed into a military camp, with a large, elaborate commander's tent situated in the center. The two walked over from a distance, looking quite imposing in their armor.
They stopped in front of the tent and bowed in unison. "Mother, An Liang requests an audience."
"Enter."
Hearing the reply, the two entered. An Luocheng was sitting at a table, carefully studying a sheepskin map. They exchanged a glance and bowed again, observing all the proper courtesies.
"Mother, the relocation of the defensive line was completed successfully. All fifteen cities in the southern territory of the Yu Kingdom have been incorporated into our Yi Kingdom's map!" An Liang couldn't help but raise her voice, a hint of excitement in her tone.
At this, An Luocheng finally looked up. She sized them both up, her gaze lingering on An Xi for a moment. "Good. You've both worked hard. Go and rest." An Luocheng waved them away, an unconscious frown creasing her brow, as if something was troubling her.
An Xi carefully observed An Luocheng's expression and sensed something was amiss. After leaving the tent with An Liang, she quietly doubled back and slipped into An Luocheng's tent without being announced.
At that moment, An Luocheng was sitting at the table, rubbing her forehead, looking deeply troubled.
An Xi saw this and opened her mouth. "A…" The word 'Niang' got stuck in her throat. Gu Baiye had broken character. Facing Auntie Lin, she just couldn't bring herself to say 'mother'…
Lin Yuqing looked up at her. Their eyes met, and a faint, awkward silence hung in the air.
"Sorry, I… I for-forgot my line." Gu Baiye quickly lowered her head, rubbing her forehead to hide her embarrassment.
"It's fine, let's go again," Su Yu said, signaling to the crew. Gu Baiye took a deep breath and tried to adjust her mood. Calling Auntie Lin 'A-Niang' was just too awkward.
She glanced up nervously at Auntie Lin, who looked completely unfazed. Gu Baiye's heart skipped a beat. She reminded herself that she was acting right now; she couldn't overthink it. She had to get into character. The person in front of her was An Luocheng!
They started again and smoothly reached the same point.
An Xi slipped into the tent and looked at the troubled An Luocheng. "A-Niang," she called softly.
An Luocheng looked up at the sound of her voice. When she saw An Xi, her expression softened. "Why are you back?"
"It's been a long time. I missed you." An Xi smiled playfully, moving behind An Luocheng and placing her hands on her shoulders, gently kneading them.
"Mm," An Luocheng hummed in a low voice, the corners of her mouth lifting unconsciously. She said nothing more.
"Is something wrong?"
An Luocheng, who had been enjoying the massage, sighed at the question.
"Her Majesty intends to lead the campaign personally."
"Coming here?"
"We've only just secured fifteen cities, and she's already so eager to swallow the Yu Kingdom. Isn't she afraid of spraining her ankle by taking such a big step?"
"It's natural for a monarch to be ambitious. As for how to implement it, that's for me, her subject, to plan for her."
"Hmph, I think her campaign against Yu is just a pretense. Her real goal is to knock the mountain to scare the tiger!" An Xi scoffed, her eyes full of disdain.
An Luocheng chuckled at her words. She reached a hand behind her, wrapped it around An Xi's waist, and pulled her into her embrace. The young woman landed right on her lap.
And just like that, the entire crew broke character.
Su Yu was also stunned. Wait a minute, the script didn't call for her to be so direct!
Sitting in Lin Yuqing's lap, Gu Baiye was visibly stunned for a moment. She had no idea this was part of the scene, and her pretty face flushed bright red in an instant.
"Hey, cut! What's wrong with you? Didn't we agree you wouldn't blush?"
"I, I…" Gu Baiye swallowed weakly. Sitting in Auntie Lin's lap and not being allowed to blush? That was asking too much.
"Yuqing, that was a good improvisation. Let's go again."
Just as Gu Baiye was about to get up, she suddenly felt several intense, scorching gazes on her. She instinctively turned her head and saw the other young actresses staring at her as if they wanted to eat her alive, their eyes glowing green. Frightened, she shrank back and leaped off Lin Yuqing's lap.
Su Yu was about to order a retake when she noticed Baiye's face was still as red as a monkey's butt. She put her hands on her hips. This girl's tendency to blush was a real problem.
"Everyone, take five," Su Yu said with a wave of her hand, telling the crew to pause. She then walked over to Gu Baiye and Lin Yuqing, sized them up for a moment, and looked at Baiye. "You, sit on her lap," she commanded.
"Huh???" Gu Baiye froze on the spot, even thinking she had misheard. She turned to look at Auntie Lin, but she showed no reaction.
"What 'huh'? Sit on her lap."
Gu Baiye scratched her head, completely baffled, but she couldn't help feeling a small thrill of excitement. She moved next to Lin Yuqing. "Um… Teacher Lin, I'm going to sit down, okay~"
With an expression that screamed, "I'm being forced into this," she carefully sat down on Lin Yuqing's lap.
Lin Yuqing didn't move. Su Yu pushed Gu Baiye's head to rest on Lin Yuqing's shoulder, then took Lin Yuqing's arm and wrapped it around Baiye's waist. She then stepped back to observe. The pose was suitably intimate.
"Hold that pose, and don't blush," she gave Gu Baiye a strict order.
However, she might as well have not said anything. As soon as the words left her mouth, a layer of pink visibly spread across Gu Baiye's face… sweat even beaded on her forehead.
"No, Director, I…" Gu Baiye wanted to cry. She turned her head and saw the entire crew of hungry wolves staring at her, which was both frustrating and funny.
She looked frantically at Lin Yuqing, seeking help, but Lin Yuqing seemed unbothered. In fact, she seemed quite comfortable holding her.
"Teacher Lin, am I very heavy?" Gu Baiye secretly squeezed Lin Yuqing's wrist and gave it a little shake.
"Not at all," Lin Yuqing said honestly, completely ignoring Gu Baiye's signal for help.
"…" This isn't my Auntie Lin! She usually complains that I'm heavy!
Lin Yuqing was secretly pleased. She actually enjoyed seeing Xiao Ye blush. Her pink cheeks looked like a freshly ripened red apple, making one want to take a bite. However, the director didn't like it.
"You're especially cute when you blush," Lin Yuqing whispered in Xiao Ye's ear.
Well, that one sentence was all it took. Xiao Ye's cheeks felt like they were on fire. In an instant, she could feel how intensely hot they were.
Auntie Lin was definitely doing this on purpose!!!
Annoyed, Gu Baiye got off Lin Yuqing's lap. She rubbed her face with her hands and fanned herself, becoming the center of attention. It was absolutely mortifying!
Lin Yuqing acted as if it had nothing to do with her, but she couldn't help but smile secretly. This small act of revenge put her in a great mood.
Once Gu Baiye felt she had calmed down, she nodded at Su Yu. "Director, I'm okay now…"
"Good. Don't overthink it. Immerse yourself in the character. An Xi is a shameless person. She didn't even blush when An Luocheng spanked her bare butt. Just imagine you're a shameless person, that nothing can make you shy or blush."
Spanked her bare butt…
"Hey, hey, hey, Gu Baiye, what's wrong with you! Are you performing a special trick for us?!" Seeing Gu Baiye's face turn bright red again, even Su Yu's good temper was about to snap.
Lin Yuqing quickly rubbed her nose to hide her smile. Well, it looked like this girl wouldn't be recovering anytime soon. It was so hard trying not to laugh…
"Touch up her makeup," Su Yu said helplessly, calling the makeup artist over. "Try to cover it with more foundation."
"Cover what? Aren't these pink cheeks adorable?" A charming female voice suddenly came from behind Su Yu. Everyone turned to look, stunned. It was Xue Yuexian!
"Xue Jie, what are you doing here?" Wu Mengmeng hurried forward to greet her, but Xue Yuexian acted as if she hadn't seen her. Her eyes were fixed on Gu Baiye, looking her up and down. She walked up to Baiye, her seductive eyes sparkling, her M-shaped red lips curved into a beautiful smile.
Xue Yuexian took the powder puff from the makeup artist and raised her hand, intending to dab it on Xiao Ye's face. Her movements were gentle and tinged with a hint of allure, which completely baffled Xiao Ye.
But the moment the puff touched her skin, Xiao Ye instinctively recoiled.
"Oh my, so cute," Xue Yuexian said, reaching out again. Before Xiao Ye could react, she lightly tapped the tip of her nose, winked, and blew her a kiss.
Gu Baiye was mortified and angry. "Please have some self-respect!" Her tone was uncharacteristically serious.
"Oh, she can get angry too!" Xue Yuexian's eyes lit up as if she had discovered a new continent. Just as she was about to move closer, Lin Yuqing blocked her path.
Lin Yuqing's eyes were cold, her gaze toward Xue Yuexian filled with hostility, like a lioness protecting her food.
Xue Yuexian was smiling the entire time. She tilted her head to look at Baiye from behind Lin Yuqing, then glanced at Lin Yuqing. "Yours?"
Lin Yuqing didn't speak, just stared at her coldly.
Xue Yuexian draped an arm over Lin Yuqing's shoulder. "If she's yours, I won't covet her. If not, I'm making my move. I quite like this type," she whispered conspiratorially.
Lin Yuqing slapped her hand away. "You'd better not get any ideas about her."
"A beautiful flower with no owner, wouldn't it be a waste? This one looks like she's still a budding flower~"
Lin Yuqing frowned deeply, watching Xue Yuexian's greedy gaze roam over Baiye. She wanted to slap her awake.
"Well, Yuexian, what wind blew you here~" Su Yu came over, linking arms with Xue Yuexian. "Don't you dare cause trouble for me!" she warned in a low voice.
"Where did you find this newcomer? How come I never meet such innocent girls?"
"That's enough. Don't go too far. She's still a student who hasn't even left school. Rein in your filthy thoughts."
"Listen to you. What kind of person do you take me for? I just think this girl has potential and wanted to ask if she's interested in joining my company. What's so filthy about that?" Xue Yuexian batted her big eyes, looking innocent.
Su Yu immediately rolled her eyes, but before she could speak…
"What, you seem very interested in my artist."
Another cool female voice came from behind Baiye. Everyone turned and was shocked again. Some, including Su Yu, gasped.
For fuck's sake, Lu Qing really brought Fang Yi here!
Su Yu studied her carefully. It had been a long time. Fang Yi was much thinner, her long legs as thin as chopsticks. She wore a wine-red pantsuit with a black tank top underneath, very stylish. Her fluffy, chestnut-brown curls were swept to one side, and she wore a light red lipstick. Her aura was incredible, one hand in her pocket, the epitome of a powerful, mature woman.
In contrast, Lu Qing's outfit had a more girl-next-door feel. She still had a youthful vibe, wearing a light green linen dress and an exaggerated sun hat.
Su Yu's head was starting to ache. What was happening today? All the big shots were gathered here, and all for the same person. Was this girl some kind of femme fatale?
The "femme fatale" in question was also baffled. She didn't even know when Lu Qing and Fang Yi had arrived. Just as she was getting angry at Xue Yuexian's frivolous attitude, Teacher Lu and Fang Yi had appeared, one on each side of her…
When Lin Yuqing saw Fang Yi, she couldn't help but look her over a few times. The moment their eyes met, Lin Yuqing gave her a faint smile. The latter showed no reaction at all, instead turning to stare at Xue Yuexian.
Seeing the two newcomers, Xue Yuexian was clearly stunned for a moment. "You… your artist?"
"Well, Great Manager Fang, who was it that said she would never manage a newcomer again, never set foot in the industry again? How can you just turn around and treat your own words like a fart?"
Hearing this, Fang Yi glanced at Baiye and gave her a small smile. She then walked up to Xue Yuexian and lowered her voice. "Yuexian, when you're alive, you have to look forward. Otherwise, you do a disservice to yourself and to the person who passed away. Yilan… she certainly wouldn't want to see you like this."
At the sudden mention of "Yilan," Xue Yuexian's face turned cold. "I don't need you to teach me how to live. What I, Xue Yuexian, want, I will definitely get!" Then, she looked at Baiye and declared loudly, "This girl, I'm determined to have her!"
Gu Baiye ignored her gaze, turned angrily, and walked toward the dressing room.
This uncooperative attitude only strengthened Xue Yuexian's resolve.
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