A OO Love After Officially Announcing with the Best Actress - Chapter 2

The production assistant returned an hour later. Seeing that Lin Ke and Lu Tu were still waiting, he gave the director a call.

The entire call lasted less than a minute.

“She agreed?” Lu Tu asked in surprise.

The production assistant nodded, hung up, and led Lin Ke and Lu Tu inside.

Lu Tu nodded repeatedly and said yes, until Lin Ke poked her. Helplessly, she chimed in, “May I ask which teacher the second female lead is? Will we disturb them if we go over? Is there anything we should pay attention to?”

She was openly and secretly trying to find out who the second female lead was.

The production assistant smiled, turned back, and gave Lin Ke a meaningful look. “I wouldn’t dare say too much about that. Teacher Xiao Lin will know once she sees for herself.”

That one look from the production assistant made Lin Ke’s whole body go cold.

The sky was almost completely dark. Wind passed through the long streets and short alleys, making it less hot. An old lady was cooling off at the entrance of a courtyard, leisurely fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan.

The environment looked a little like an old Beijing courtyard house, but in the drama, Xiao Feng, the character Lin Ke played, did not live here.

Why was there a smell of hotpot?

“We’re here.” The production assistant’s voice interrupted Lin Ke’s thoughts. “Director Shen, Teacher Lin.”

With a flattering expression, Lu Tu went around the production assistant and stepped forward to greet them. “Director Shen—!”

The second half of her voice almost cracked. Lu Tu’s high-pitched tone swerved sharply, and she covered up the broken syllable with an even more ingratiating, shrill voice.

“Ah~ It’s Film Queen Lin. I’ve long admired your name! Long admired your name!”

Lin Ke shook all over and froze stupidly in place.

Shen Feng was a well-established director with solid works. She was a female alpha in her early thirties, but she had no airs of a big shot. She stood up and shook hands with Lu Tu. “Assistant Lu.”

Another graceful figure also stood up. She was slender, wearing a short top, long pants, and slippers, eating hotpot with a bare face. She looked so simple and down-to-earth that she did not resemble the all-powerful Film Queen from the internet at all, but her brows, eyes, and figure were all first-rate. Her entire body carried a naturally formed aura.

Lu Tu gave a half bow and wanted to shake hands with Lin Bingran.

Lin Bingran said, “No need to be so polite. My hand is covered in hotpot oil. Sit down. There are folding stools beside you.”

Lin Ke tugged at her hot pants, as if she wanted to knead the denim fabric to pieces.

Lu Tu introduced them. “Xiao Lin, hurry over. This is Director Shen Feng. You met during the audition. And this is Film Queen Lin.”

“I’m really sorry, Director. Xiao Lin’s flight was delayed today, so she arrived late…”

Shen Feng said, “It’s fine. As long as she’s here. There wasn’t anything important today, so it didn’t delay anything.”

After exchanging pleasantries, Lu Tu stepped aside to make room for Lin Ke.

“Director Shen.” Lin Ke turned to look at Lin Bingran. Trembling with fear, she opened her mouth, but it felt as if something had gotten stuck in her throat. Her face turned red, and after coughing twice, tears squeezed out from the corners of her eyes.

Lu Tu looked at her like she was looking at her own useless child. She was almost anxious enough to lose her temper. “Xiao Lin! Hurry and greet her!”

Lin Ke could not say it. Her eyes were fixed firmly on the blue stone slabs.

Shen Feng glanced at Lin Bingran, thinking, Has she already come to hate her so much that she can’t even look directly at her?

Lin Bingran’s face remained calm. Holding a cup of clear tea, she calmly sipped it through the steam curling up from the hotpot.

The atmosphere was so suffocating that Lu Tu could hardly bear to watch.

Shen Feng looked on but did not interfere or say anything. Lin Bingran and Lin Ke would be acting as the two female leads. They would be working together from now on, and in the same crew, they would see each other all the time. There was no point in acting as a peacemaker.

Besides, in more than ten years of navigating the entertainment industry, this was the first time Shen Feng had seen an actress so bad at reading the room. Lin Ke did not even bother pretending.

As for Lin Bingran, she was a film queen. Her status was enough to support her. Lin Ke had relied on her for marketing and hype online, but the moment she appeared offline, she gave her attitude and made the scene awkward and embarrassing. Lin Bingran would not take the initiative to greet Lin Ke either.

Lin Bingran calmly picked up a chopstickful of fatty beef.

The small folding stools were right beside them, but no one dared move even half a step.

Time passed second by second. Lin Ke’s mouth seemed to be tied shut in a dead knot.

Lu Tu tried to save the situation. “Director Shen, Teacher Lin… Xiao Lin is a little carsick…”

Shen Feng’s expression turned unpleasant. She set down her chopsticks and pressed them onto the table with a snap.

Lu Tu immediately fell silent.

Lin Ke shuddered. Her head was lowered. Grief, indignation, unwillingness, restraint, longing—all kinds of emotions flashed across her face in turns. The layers were so rich that it was as if a film queen had possessed her.

Lin Ke’s neck seemed to swell by a full circle. Her face was both red and dark, and her eyes were crimson. Anyone who did not know the situation would think she had suffered some enormous grievance and was about to cry.

“T-Teacher Lin, hello.” After a long while, Lin Ke raised her head, tears falling in strings.

“Wuwuwu.” Lin Ke sobbed. “I-I’m your fan. Seeing you… I’m too excited… wuwuwu.”

“…”

Lu Tu’s eyes also widened like copper bells. She was amazed by Lin Ke’s ability to lie through her teeth.

Crying tears of joy upon meeting her idol—how normal! How could it be any more normal?

Lin Bingran lost her appetite. She glared at Shen Feng. This is the anti-fan you were talking about?

Shen Feng choked on a mouthful of tea and said in disbelief, “You’re Bingran’s fan?”

“Yes.” Lin Ke’s voice still carried a crying tone. “Teacher Lin, I want… I want to shake your hand…”

Lin Bingran: “…”

Lin Bingran stood up and shook her hand. Afterward, she said, “Sit.”

Lin Ke nodded and sat down, then rummaged through her bag for tissues to wipe her tears.

Lu Tu sat on the other side, trembling with caution, careful and tense as if walking on thin ice.

Shen Feng handed disposable chopsticks to Lin Ke and Lu Tu. A moment later, she asked, “Are you really Bingran’s fan?”

Lin Ke hummed in affirmation while fishing for slippery sweet potato noodles in the pot. She could not pick them up, so Lu Tu fished out two strands for her.

Shen Feng asked, “How many of Bingran’s representative works do you know?”

The sweet potato noodles slipped back into the pot with a slurp. Lin Ke and Lu Tu swallowed at the same time.

Lin Bingran laughed softly and said, “Don’t make things hard for the kid. Just talk about my works from 2015.”

Lin Ke: “…”

I thought you were a good person. Who knew you really were a great demon king!

Lin Ke smiled calmly, her eyes still red. “You filmed so many works in 2015. The period drama Mountain and Water Scenery, the urban romance film The Seven-Year Itch, and the costume film Chaotic War. I like all of them very much. You injured your shoulder while filming Chaotic War, right? Did it leave any lasting problems? Is it still serious now?”

Shen Feng froze and glanced at Lin Bingran. “You got injured filming that year?”

Lin Bingran turned down the heat on the induction cooker and said casually, “Mm. A minor injury. Not many people know about it.”

Lin Ke had handed in an answer sheet comparable to full marks. She let out a breath of relief and steadily picked up a chopstickful of sweet potato noodles into her bowl.

Lin Bingran propped up her chin and looked at her. After a long while, she smiled. Her red lips were delicate and bright, and her smile revealed a dimple at the side of her cheek.

Lin Ke did not dare look directly at her. She lowered her head, and the steam from the hotpot stung her eyes.

“Aiyo, what happened?” Lu Tu said. “Did the smoke get in your eyes?”

Lin Ke nodded and kept rubbing her eyes. Her already red eyes were rubbed until they were bloodshot.

Seeing this, Shen Feng said, “Go back to the hotel and rest first. There’s nothing important here. The production team will send out the call sheet later. The nanny van will be arranged tomorrow and will be waiting downstairs at the hotel on time.”

Lu Tu stood up with repeated nods and bows. “Sorry, Director. Then I’ll take Xiao Lin back first.”

Shen Feng waved her hand. “Go, go.”

“Director,” Lin Ke said, then looked at Lin Bingran with restrained nervousness. “Teacher Lin, I’ll be leaving first.”

Lin Bingran said, “Go ahead.”

Lu Tu supported Lin Ke, and the two disappeared into the alley connected to the intersection.

Shen Feng withdrew her gaze and said with a smile, “Look at this moat. The water is pretty clear.”

Lin Bingran smiled faintly. “A shallow ditch one meter wide is also worthy of being called a moat?”

Lin Ke and Lu Tu turned into the alley. Once they left Lin Bingran and Shen Feng’s line of sight, they swiftly let go of each other and marched side by side, heads lowered, charging out of the town.

When they rushed to the crew’s set area, there were still a few staff members working overtime. Lin Ke and Lu Tu hurriedly supported each other again and slowed their steps.

Earlier, Lu Tu had supported Lin Ke. Now, Lin Ke was supporting Lu Tu.

After walking two steps while supporting each other, Lu Tu limped on her right leg and realized something was wrong. “Wrong!”

They hurriedly switched roles again. Lin Ke limped with her left foot. After two steps, she said, “Did the smoke burn my thigh?”

The corners of Lu Tu’s mouth twitched. “More like charcoal-grilled, right?”

The two straightened up and walked out of the town without looking sideways.

After two impatient door-slamming sounds, Lu Tu got into the passenger seat, still badly shaken. “Thank heavens.”

Lin Ke lay crookedly across the entire back seat, feeling dejected. “So cowardly!”

“All right,” Lin Bingran said with a smile. “Just say what you want to say.”

Shen Feng lifted her chin slightly. “What do you think?”

Lin Bingran laughed softly. “Quite interesting. Little anti-fan.”

“Don’t worry,” Lin Ke said, though her confidence was a little lacking. “I used everything I’ve learned in my whole life. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that performance.”

Lu Tu felt that her hands on the steering wheel were still shaking. She said, “You really acted well. I was right about you after all. That move just now was simply a stroke of genius. How did you think of it?”

Lin Ke sat up straight and rubbed her eyes while looking at her phone screen. “In that flash of lightning, at that critical moment, inspiration suddenly came to me. It must be my natural cleverness.”

Lu Tu: “…”

“You could actually recite Lin Bingran’s works,” Lu Tu said. “And you even knew she had been injured! Even Director Shen didn’t know!”

Lin Ke glanced out the window unnaturally. The sun had completely set. Mountains and rivers stretched endlessly, their outlines black. “I’m her anti-fan, aren’t I? Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle.”

Lu Tu understood. “I have to report this to the company right away. This is simply too shocking! Lin Bingran actually came to act in a Category III film!”

Lin Ke felt like she had been insulted. “Do you even know how to talk?! This is an art film! The passionate scenes are all sacrifices for art!”

Lu Tu looked at her through the rearview mirror and nodded in agreement. “You’re about to sacrifice yourself for art.”

Thinking of the script, Lin Ke could not help blushing. She began worrying about her screen first kiss and first night.

Lu Tu saw through her at a glance. “It must feel awful to film intimate scenes with someone you hate, right?”

Lin Ke put down her phone and murmured, “I’m about to give myself to Lin Bingran.”

“…”

“…”

“That doesn’t sound quite right,” Lu Tu said.

Lin Ke immediately denied it. “That’s your imagination.”

When they arrived at the hotel arranged by the crew, Lu Tu went to the front desk to collect the access card and room card.

Lin Ke put on her baseball cap, sunglasses, and mask in an affected manner.

This building had basically been booked out by the Wind Chime crew to house the actors and staff. Most of the people coming and going were crew members and actors. While Lin Ke waited in the lounge, she saw two actresses more famous than herself.

She was too tired today and truly had no energy to act humble anymore, so Lin Ke closed her eyes and pretended to nap.

After getting the room card, Lu Tu’s sharp eyes noticed them. She stopped the two actors and chatted awkwardly with them for more than ten minutes.

Lin Ke was woken up when someone patted her arm. Lu Tu was as gentle as her mother, dragging the two large suitcases that had been sent to the hotel in advance. She said, “Go upstairs and sleep.”

The hotel room was on the fifth floor. Lin Ke was staying in Room 502.

Lu Tu said, “I’m staying on the third floor. Call me anytime if something happens.”

“It’s getting late. Take a shower and sleep early. I already got the call sheet. Tomorrow morning, you have to get your makeup done early, take styling photos, attend the opening ceremony, do the script reading… There’s still a lot to do. Aside from me, the company also assigned you an assistant. She’ll arrive tomorrow. Oh right, what do you want for breakfast?”

Lu Tu began nagging and opened Lin Ke’s suitcase, taking the items out one by one and arranging them.

Lu Tu said, “There are lots of people in the crew, and the alphas are mixed in too. Remember to carry blocker spray with you at all times. Spraying this should also be the first thing you do every morning when you wake up. I put it by your bedside, okay?”

Lin Ke nodded listlessly and picked up a few pairs of shoes to place by the entrance.

“Put that down!” Lu Tu said. “Go sit.”

Lin Ke: “…”

Lin Ke took out cups, washed them clean, and poured two glasses of water.

Lu Tu took out the script and smoothed out the curled edges. “Where should I put the script?”

Lin Ke casually pointed. “Put it on the coffee table.”

Lu Tu busied herself here and there, never letting her feet touch the ground, and was extremely excited. She was a female omega, but the reason she had this kind of fighting power was because she had been tempered by following several artists. It was worth mentioning that Lin Ke was the most famous one she had ever managed.

After Lin Ke finished showering, she had washed off the blocker spray on her body. When she came out of the bathroom, she brought with her a burst of sweet-and-sour scent.

Lu Tu suddenly asked, “How long until your heat?”

Lin Ke said, “A few days. Why?”

Lu Tu said, “Then I’ll bring you two suppressants.”

“Mm.”

After showering, her whole body felt comfortable. Lin Ke leaned delicately by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a goblet filled with plain water and gazing at her own reflection with self-pity.

“Why did it have to be her?”

Lu Tu made the bed, placed a cup of hot water on the bedside table, and said, “Still thinking about it? I put this water here. If you get thirsty in the middle of the night, take a couple of sips. Don’t drink too much, or your face will be swollen when you wake up tomorrow.”

“I know,” Lin Ke said. “Just tidy up simply. Hurry back and rest.”

Lu Tu happened to have finished too. “Then I’m leaving.”

“Wait.” Lin Ke turned her head. “Tutu, tell the company for me. Since I’m already going to work with Lin Bingran, can they withdraw those marketing-account articles?”