A OO Love After Officially Announcing with the Best Actress - Chapter 1

June, Outside an Airport Somewhere in the South

The car door was wide open. A dark shadow flashed by, and a humanoid creature suddenly sprang inside. With two loud thuds, the entire car shook violently twice.

Lu Tu had been dozing off with her head on the steering wheel. Like a startled bird, she jolted awake. “Earthquake?!”

Lin Ke’s butt landed on the seat. “It’s me.”

Lu Tu said, “I waited for you for two hours. The production crew’s meet-and-greet is already over.”

Lin Ke took off her mask, sunglasses, and baseball cap, revealing a wheat-colored face. She urged, “The flight was delayed. Hurry up and go.”

Lu Tu was even more nervous than Lin Ke. Being late on the first day of joining the crew—if word got out, people would accuse her of acting like a big shot, and then they would be done for! Lu Tu started the engine and swept a glance at the rearview mirror. Her heart suffered a second blow.

“Oh my god!”

“How did you get this dark?!”

“Am I very dark?” Lin Ke touched her little face. “I put on some dark foundation. It’s all to fit the character!”

Lu Tu said, “The script never said Xiao Feng looked like this. Stop messing around. If you ruin that pretty little face, who’s going to like you?”

Lin Ke held her face. “I even made a special trip to Sanya. I sunbathed for an entire week, but no matter what, I just couldn’t get a tan!”

It would take two hours to drive from the airport to the film studio. Lu Tu said, “I sent you an email. Read through it first and do your homework. Once we get to the crew, we’ll go find the director and apologize.”

Lin Ke opened the email. “Wang Bingbing, Li Mengying, Zhang Du, Shen Kuo…”

The documents were all about the cast members of Wind Chime. The contents included each teacher’s interests, hobbies, representative works, unspeakable scandals, topics that could be brought up, and so on. These were all things Lin Ke needed to memorize before joining the crew.

Lu Tu said, “The script is special, and the crew’s confidentiality work was done too well. I only just got the cast list. The information was packaged by the company, so skim it first. We’ll go over it properly later.”

After roughly scanning through it, Lin Ke asked, “What about the second female lead?”

Lu Tu said, “The second female lead is the most mysterious. There’s still no news at all.”

Lin Ke could not help grabbing the tassel on the seat cushion. Nervously, she said, “Damn. It couldn’t be some creepy female alpha, could it?”

At the traffic light, Lu Tu turned back to look at her and said with extreme cruelty, “You already signed the contract. Even if it’s a creepy alpha, you still have to keep acting.”

Lin Ke’s face went white with a swish, and her hand landed on the car door handle.

Lu Tu said, “Relax, relax. Wang Bingbing, Li Mengying, and the others are all serious actors. This production is pretty high-level. Since the second female lead is so mysterious, she’s definitely a big name. They won’t invite some shady person to take advantage of you.”

Lin Ke nodded. Her palm was already sweating. It was not her fault for being this nervous. This film had so many intimate scenes. If the director had not been Shen Feng, who would have fought tooth and nail to squeeze their way in?

Lu Tu said, “Stop frowning. Think of something happy.”

Lin Ke took out her phone and opened Weibo.

Lu Tu saw it from the rearview mirror. “Don’t look at those haters’—”

“I know, I know,” Lin Ke said. “You really are like an old nanny.”

Lu Tu: “…”

Lin Ke said, “I’m going to look at my wives.”

Lu Tu felt even more troubled. Ever since the role was finalized, Lin Ke had been going on Weibo every few days to choose concubines. Who knew if this illness could still be cured?

Lin Ke browsed Weibo. First, she went to look at her favorite, a model who was 176 centimeters tall, with legs from the chest down and a world-weary, high-fashion face.

“Do you think Zhou Xiaoxiao will come?”

Lu Tu said, “No. She’s completely different from Ling’s image.”

Lin Ke continued browsing and chose a national-level film queen with fifty million fans, a figure like an immortal descending to the mortal world.

“Ahem. What about Zhou Wen? I’ve watched her early works before. Some had yuri elements…”

Black lines filled Lu Tu’s face. “She’s fifty. You want her to play a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl? Are you crazy, or is the director crazy?”

Lin Ke pouted. “What about this one? She’s from one of those idol girl groups that recently blew up. Zhang Xian’er is even an alpha. I’m fine with a girlish top too.”

When she scrolled to a face with god-tier visuals, Lin Ke subconsciously swallowed. She thought, Who is this? When she looked closely, it turned out to be Lin Bingran.

“Bad luck.” Lin Ke turned off her phone.

Lu Tu said, “Done choosing? Who are you favoring today?”

Lin Ke curled her lips. “The one banished to the cold palace.”

Lu Tu laughed herself to death. “I just find it strange. You hate Film Queen Lin so much, yet you still want to include her in your harem?”

Lin Ke sneered. “You know too much.”

Lu Tu made a motion of zipping her mouth shut.

A moment later, Lu Tu glanced at the rearview mirror. The two of them met each other’s eyes in the mirror.

In their hearts, they cursed at the same time: How did the conversation end up on Lin Bingran?

Some thoughts were like spring wind fanning wildfire. They could not be burned out, nor could they be stopped.

After considering her words, Lu Tu said, “I keep feeling…”

“Don’t!” Lin Ke hurriedly stopped her. “Don’t say it out loud.”

But it was already too late.

Lu Tu said, “Director Shen and Lin Bingran have been friends for many years. Two years ago, the two of them even called out to each other on Weibo, saying they looked forward to working together. What if she really comes…”

Lin Ke’s expression was shocked, afraid, and guilty all at once. “Please, no.”

The sun leaned westward. The warm orange sunlight poured over the moss-covered road of the little town, as if coating it with a thin layer of light.

Beneath their feet was a murmuring stream. Shen Feng and Lin Bingran were eating hotpot at a folding table by the river.

The setting was open-air and simple. There was no canopy overhead, no air-conditioning, and no cold drinks. On a summer evening, the two of them relied on two cups of plain tea to clear the heat and soothe their lungs.

Lin Bingran picked up a chopstickful of fatty beef, swished it through the hot water, dipped it into a dry seasoning bowl, coated it with a layer of peanut sauce, and fed it into her mouth.

Shen Feng said, “If you can’t eat spicy food, just take from the clear broth.”

Two faint flushes flew at the corners of Lin Bingran’s eyes. “No need.”

Shen Feng laughed. “Fine, I won’t bother with you. You sweat every time you eat spicy food. Don’t stink me out later.”

Lin Bingran smiled. “Who will stink out whom is still uncertain.”

Shen Feng tugged at her collar. Her chest and back were covered in sweat stains, but her pheromones were concealed very well.

“Filming starts tomorrow. When the time comes, repost my Weibo post,” Shen Feng said. “I hope your fans don’t tear me apart.”

Lin Bingran raised her head. There was a ring of red around her mouth from eating. Shen Feng could not bear to look directly and handed her a tissue.

Lin Bingran took it and wiped. The tissue was completely clean. It was not lipstick or oil stains—her mouth had been reddened by the spice.

“Why?” Lin Bingran picked up her teacup and took a shallow sip to cool the heat in her mouth.

Shen Feng pondered. “Our female lead hasn’t been very well-behaved lately.”

Lin Bingran frowned. “Was she exposed for taking drugs or soliciting prostitutes?”

Shen Feng almost spat out a mouthful of tea. “Would I dare use that kind of actor? Can you pay a little more attention to the female lead? You were the one who decided on her, after all.”

Lin Bingran put down her chopsticks and carefully recalled.

A few months ago, when Wind Chime held open auditions for the female lead, Shen Feng had once asked her to watch several audition clips.

“Come, time to choose a wife.” Those had been Shen Feng’s exact words at the time.

Five or six videos landed in her hands. She opened the first one. It showed a pretty girl who looked like a snowman. Her eyes were like a young deer’s. When she looked back and smiled, she had the youthful innocence and naivety of a young person. Her eyes were clear, bright, and pure, but in the next second, she switched into slyness. She was quite spirited.

“This one.”

Shen Feng was stunned. “That fast?”

At the time, Lin Bingran had casually said, “She’s too pale. She’d fit the character better if she were a little darker.”

“Remember now?” Shen Feng teased. “Lin Ke’s performance was average. I almost thought you liked this type of girl.”

Lin Bingran picked up a slice of potato. “An omega talking about liking someone? What’s the point?”

Lu Tu parked the car outside the film studio and was surprised to find that they had driven all the way into the wilderness.

Not far away, there was a large stone with the words “Water Town” written on it in red paint.

Lu Tu made a phone call, and a production assistant came out to receive them.

Water Town was called a film studio, but in truth, it was a tourism project created by the local government. After hearing that Shen Feng wanted to borrow the scenery here to shoot a film, they rode on the popularity and made a promotional gimmick out of it.

The little town had grey stone paths and green tiles. It was not the type of ancient town with carved railings and painted buildings, but rather a rural town full of the atmosphere of daily life. Once one walked deeper inside, it naturally made people think of the Rain Alley from textbooks.

Lin Ke took a deep breath and felt a sweet, refreshing breath of air flow into her lungs.

“Thank you for your trouble.” Lu Tu exchanged greetings with the production assistant and shook hands. “We’re really sorry. The flight was delayed. Where’s the director? I’ll take Xiao Lin over first to say hello and apologize.”

The production assistant said, “Director Shen is receiving the second female lead. She specifically said not to disturb them. Why don’t you go to the hotel first? The hotel is in the city area, about half an hour’s drive from here.”

As if a nerve had been poked, Lin Ke pressed her lips together and asked, “Where?”

The production assistant froze. “Who?”

Lin Ke asked, “The second female lead is here. Which teacher is it?”

Lu Tu held her forehead and waved at Lin Ke, signaling her not to get so worked up. She said, “We’ll just go over and say hello. We won’t delay them for long. I’m Xiao Lin’s assistant and manager. You can just call me Xiao Lu. Production Teacher, please take care of us in the future.”

The production assistant pulled a walkie-talkie out from under his arm and said to the two of them, “Teachers, please stand here for a while.”

This “while” ended up being more than twenty minutes. Once the production assistant left, he never came back.

Lu Tu’s feet were sore from standing, and she began making sarcastic remarks. “See? This is what happens when you’re not famous.”

Lin Ke’s heart felt sore from standing, and she began abusing the moss beneath her feet. “My fans tear into people so fiercely online that I almost thought I had gone straight to being an A-list big shot.”

Lu Tu then said, “Perform well. This film is directed by Shen Feng. If the response is good after it’s released, I’ll have the company buy you a Hundred Flowers Award. Once you have a representative work, you’ll be able to squeeze into the ranks of third-tier actresses.”

Lin Ke, twenty-two years old, had graduated a year ago and debuted three years ago. She had caused two small splashes.

The first time, she relied on her role as the third female lead in a low-budget web drama and outshone the female lead with her beauty, almost making it out of the circle. After the topic gained a small burst of popularity, the company frantically marketed her beauty, stepping on and clout-chasing all kinds of actresses to maintain her heat.

In the first half of the year, a drama of hers had aired on satellite TV. She played the second female lead and became a little popular again. The company began marketing her as someone with both acting skills and beauty. Because of one particular styling, the target she was compared against went from ordinary actresses to Film Queen Lin Bingran.

Her team crazily leeched popularity from Lin Bingran. They were determined to tie Lin Ke together with the term “Little Lin Bingran.” Right now, they were pushing Lin Ke down the path of becoming famous through controversy, but Lin Ke was still far from truly being black-red.

Shen Feng took out her phone, selected some of the overwhelming press releases from a while ago, and casually read a few.

“Lin Ke—I saw Lin Bingran’s shadow in her.”

“Lin Ke’s styling in A Human, Not a Demon referenced Lin Bingran’s classic styling from ten years ago. Lin Ke also happens to be known as Little Lin Bingran. Which look do you think is better?”

“Compared with Lin Bingran’s styling, Little Lin Bingran’s appearance can be said to surpass the original. What do you think?”

“Lin Bingran has faded from the public eye for several years, and after so many years since her debut, she no longer has an age advantage. Domestic entertainment’s aesthetics can only rely on Little Lin Bingran…”

Shen Feng read with great enthusiasm, and Lin Bingran also listened with great enthusiasm. “So she’s called Little Lin Bingran.”

Shen Feng corrected her. “She’s called Lin Ke. Your fans and her fans have been tearing into each other so fiercely it’s as if heaven and earth can’t contain them. A while ago, Lin Ke’s company even issued a lawyer’s letter, saying they were going to sue those haters who scolded her for clout-chasing you, and they also denied that she was using your popularity.”

Lin Bingran said, “I don’t care.”

Shen Feng continued talking to herself. “I know you’ve seen plenty of storms and won’t take these things seriously, but your fans can’t stand seeing you wronged. Last week, Lin Ke ‘accidentally’ liked one of your black materials, and that very night, her Weibo was flooded. What if she really is one of your antis…”

Lin Bingran said indifferently, “Whether she’s a fan or an anti, we won’t have contact outside the film. Inside the film, I also won’t make things difficult for you.”

Shen Feng had only intended to give Lin Bingran advance warning so she would be mentally prepared. Now that her goal had been achieved, she began comforting Lin Bingran. “Of course I wouldn’t question your professionalism. If the contract hadn’t already been signed, I wouldn’t use her, just so you wouldn’t feel disgusted.”

Lin Bingran mocked her for being fake. “Are you really worried about me?”

“I’m taking a call.” Shen Feng picked up her phone, and Lin Bingran signaled for her to go ahead.

After listening for a few sentences, Shen Feng said with amusement, “I’ll have to ask her about that.”

Lin Bingran set down her chopsticks. “What is it?”

Shen Feng covered the phone receiver. “Lin Ke wants to come over. While she’s at it, she also wants to meet you. Will you see her?”

Only the last wisp of orange light remained on the horizon. Night was about to fall. In the end, was Lin Ke coming to give the director face and apologize, or was she coming to meet her?

Lin Bingran tucked her hair behind her ear and said, “That’s fine.”