A OO Love After Officially Announcing with the Best Actress - Chapter 3

At five in the morning, Lu Tu dug Lin Ke out from under the blanket. “Young Miss, get up.”

After a night of metabolism, there was a faint sweet-and-sour pheromone scent on Lin Ke’s body.

Lu Tu said, “Hurry up and shower!”

With her hair like a chicken’s nest, Lin Ke crawled into the bathroom. In her dream, Lin Bingran had chased her the whole night.

Lin Ke looked at herself in the mirror. After a chaotic night, the skin beneath her eyes was faintly blue when she woke up.

Even after getting into the nanny van, she still looked exhausted and closed her eyes to rest.

Lu Tu said, “See that? There’s a whole row of nanny vans downstairs, and we’re the earliest to leave.”

Lin Ke nodded. “Yes. Later, we’ll buy a trending topic about how dedicated I am.”

Lu Tu said, “Speaking of trending topics, the company had a meeting last night to discuss you and Lin Bingran.”

Lin Ke’s eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes a crack.

Lu Tu said, “The company wants you to act as usual on set and focus on filming. This time, you’re the top-billed lead, and Lin Bingran is playing supporting to you. When the opening ceremony happens and the crew posts on Weibo, that’ll be living, breathing popularity! It’s impossible not to ride on it. Anyway, you hate her, and after all those insane things Lin Bingran did before, taking a bit of her popularity can be considered helping her accumulate good karma, right?”

Lin Ke yawned. “Oh.”

Lu Tu asked, “That sleepy?”

Lin Ke said, “I dreamed of the great demon king. I was her foot-washing maid, and she still wanted to kick me out of the crew.”

Lu Tu said, “…That kind of topic is definitely not suitable to bring up on set.”

“I know,” Lin Ke said.

When they arrived on set, the makeup room and work area were inside a three-story building.

The third floor had actors’ lounges and the director’s lounge. The second floor had the makeup room and equipment room. The equipment room door was open, with staff going in and out, several large locks piled on the ground. Beside it was also the director’s workroom. Lin Ke poked her head in for a look. It was empty.

She was actually the earliest actor to arrive.

Lin Ke sat down on one of the few chairs in the makeup room, closed her eyes, and seized the chance to catch up on sleep.

Lu Tu came upstairs with breakfast: two buns and a cup of instant strong coffee.

After shaking Lin Ke awake, Lu Tu pointed to the person beside her and said, “This is Xiao Wang, Assistant No. 2. When I’m not around, tell him if you need anything.”

Lin Ke nodded and lowered her head to take a sip of coffee. “So bitter.”

Lu Tu said, “Then drink tea?”

Lin Ke frowned. “I hate tea the most.”

Lu Tu said to Xiao Wang, “There’s nothing much right now. Go handle something else first.”

Xiao Wang nodded and left without saying a word.

Lu Tu quickly turned to Lin Ke. “Your current persona is Lin Bingran’s fan. How can you hate tea?”

Lin Bingran’s pheromones were tea—Longjing tea, the finest among teas.

“Drama is life!” Lin Ke sighed. Coffee and tea were both bitter anyway, so drinking either one was the same. “Then help me brew a cup of strong tea.”

The makeup artist arrived. Seeing Lin Ke, she started doing her makeup first.

Lu Tu asked Xiao Wang to find tea for Lin Ke, while she herself watched Lin Ke’s styling.

“You’re too pale,” the makeup teacher said. “Almost the same as Teacher Lin.”

Lin Ke pressed her lips together and skipped over any mention of Lin Bingran. “It’s fine as long as the foundation isn’t too pale.”

The makeup teacher nodded and used foundation two shades darker on Lin Ke. “I’ll add a few freckles too.”

The corner of Lu Tu’s mouth twitched twice. “Teacher, there’s no need to make her look too ugly. We still have to post on Weibo later.”

The makeup teacher said, “It’s fine. A few freckles will make her look younger.”

Lu Tu: “…”

Lin Ke closed her eyes and felt a hand holding a thin makeup brush, dotting and poking at her face.

Before long, the makeup was finished, and the stylist called her to change clothes.

Lu Tu sat in the makeup room scrolling through Weibo. She logged into Lin Ke’s yellow-V verified Weibo account. The moment she entered, mentions and private messages were all at 999+.

The internet was already in chaos. A gossip forum had leaked: Lin Bingran had just joined the crew and was filming in Southern Water Town. The director was Shen Feng, and she was playing supporting actress to Lin Ke as the second female lead in a Category III film.

“Taking Goddess Ranran away. We refuse clout-chasing and refuse to entertain nonsense.”

“Category III film? I’m dying of laughter. Three-Gold Film Queen Lin Bingran going into erotic films? Can marketing accounts stop writing random nonsense for attention?”

“What the hell is LK? If Wind Chime can’t find anyone to act, do they have to bite people randomly?”

“Isn’t Lin Ke that eighteenth-tier actress who’s been crazily riding Lin Bingran’s popularity lately? The two of them are actually working together? As everyone knows, Lin Bingran likes tormenting minor actors. Waiting for the trending topic where Film Queen Lin acts like a diva, adds scenes, and forces a newcomer actress out.”

“+1 to the commenter above. But neither of them is anything good. It’s just dogs biting dogs.”

“I can **********.”

“*********.”

“Is Jiale Company hyping this themselves? Lin Ke’s agency has way too much of this rotten history.”

Putting aside some filthy language that had been censored, scrolling further down showed that Lin Ke’s paid commenters and Lin Bingran’s fans had arrived.

Bingbing: “Does Lin Ke have no shame? It’s bad enough that she’s leeching off our family’s popularity, but now she’s also claiming to be top-billed? I remember Wind Chime was filed as a dual-female-lead project.”

Love Ke Forever: “Can Lin Bingran’s fans stop getting high off their own fantasies? Why are you everywhere?”

“Instead of buying so many press releases, why not think of ways to improve your acting? When will Lin Ke win three major awards and have a film queen play supporting to her? Are you even worthy?”

34858588: “Can Lin Bingran’s fans stop getting high off their own fantasies…”

“As everyone knows, what Lin Ke is famous for isn’t acting or looks, but zombie followers and paid commenters.”

&……*8: “Can Lin Bingran’s fans stop… why…”

“Ran-jie, should we refute the rumor?”

Lin Bingran was wearing a black face mask. Holding the ear of a teapot, she leisurely brewed tea inside the RV.

The one speaking was her assistant, Guo Rongrong.

Lin Bingran said, “Refute what rumor? Which part of this is wrong?”

Guo Rongrong felt stifled and indignant. “You’re clearly acting as lovers! Who’s the top-billed one?”

Lin Bingran did not care at all. She blew away the floating tea leaves in her cup. “This tea is good.”

Outside the RV, the production assistant came looking for them and said they were preparing for the opening ceremony.

“Teacher Xiao Lin.” The changing room door was knocked on. “The auspicious time has arrived. The director is calling everyone over to worship the gods.”

Lin Ke came out of the changing room. Lu Tu glanced over and almost sprayed the coffee in her mouth.

Lin Ke’s hair was cut evenly to her chin, with a layer of straight bangs over her forehead. Her skin was wheat-colored, with a few scattered freckles. She wore a pilled gray short-sleeved shirt with knee-length cuffed shorts, and a pair of straw sandals on her feet. Her big toe kept lifting up and down. She looked like a high school student from a poor family who had dropped out halfway and gone to the city to work.

Lu Tu: “…”

“I haven’t had such an ugly hairstyle since high school,” Lin Ke complained. She reached up and swept her bangs back. Fortunately, she had a highly adaptable face. She mussed up the ends of her hair and, with a heavy idol burden, asked, “Is this better? Can my looks climb back up to an eight?”

Lu Tu nodded. “Poor thing. No wonder Lin Bingran was willing to play supporting. This styling is really ugly to the extreme. Even a film queen wouldn’t survive this.”

Lin Ke: “…”

At nine o’clock, the offering table for the opening ceremony was placed in the widest marketplace of the little town.

Lin Bingran held two sticks of incense in one hand. She was dressed casually in white clothes and white pants. She wore no makeup, and her face had a natural, dewy radiance. With amber pupils and pale pink lips, she looked like a university student. One could not tell at all that she was almost twenty-eight.

Lin Ke was arranged beside Lin Bingran. In comparison, her styling was so rustic it left people dumbfounded.

Lin Bingran tilted her eyes slightly and recalled the information Assistant Rongrong had given her.

Rumor had it that Lin Ke was the daughter of some overseas-stationed corporation, a low-key rich second generation. Was she this stiff because she was not used to dressing like this?

Lin Ke’s whole body was rigid. Her hands were raised high above her head, blocking her face. With her eyes closed, she bowed once and then twice toward Shen Feng’s position in front of her. Just as she was about to bow a third time—

Lin Bingran asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”

Lin Ke turned her head. If she turned right, she would be exposed to the public. If she turned left, she would be closer to Lin Bingran.

She did not want to be outshone by the pretty Lin Bingran, so she began making nonsense up on the spot. “N-No… Director Shen is taller, so I’m borrowing her to block the sun.”

Shen Feng was an alpha. Although she could not compare with male alphas in height, she was taller than female omegas. At 176 centimeters, she cast a small shadow behind her, but it could only cover the tips of Lin Ke’s toes.

Lin Ke: “…”

Lin Bingran withdrew her gaze. “You’re bowing crookedly. Are you trying to worship the gods or send Director Shen off?”

Lin Ke: “…”

Lin Ke twisted her awkward upper body back around. Several media outlets were present. After a few flashes of the camera, Lin Ke’s native-like styling was frozen in the frame.

After the opening ceremony ended, people came and went, each dispersing on their own.

The crew’s official Weibo posted: “Congratulations on the opening ceremony.”

Lin Ke spent some time talking to a few actors. When she had a free moment, she signaled for Lu Tu to bring her phone and reposted the official crew post.

“Damn,” Lin Ke cursed under her breath.

Lu Tu asked, “What’s wrong?”

Lin Ke said, “People online are saying, how did I turn into a little dark-skinned kid? After sending out so many press releases about outshining everyone with my beauty, doesn’t my team feel guilty?”

Lu Tu comforted her. “Don’t be angry. It’s all a sacrifice for art. Also…”

Lu Tu looked left and right, then whispered, “Follow Lin Bingran on Weibo.”

Lin Ke’s voice rose, her reaction as if she had touched a high-voltage wire. “Why should I—”

“Of course it’s for the sake of putting on an act!” Lu Tu said. “Hurry up. Follow her quickly. Don’t let Lin Bingran seize the initiative and leave us with something people can criticize. Don’t forget Li Mengying and Zhang Du either.”

Lin Ke unwillingly searched up Lin Bingran’s Weibo and deliberately invited Lin Bingran into the “irrelevant people” group.

Lu Tu sighed. “Children are always disobedient. Most likely, they’re asking to be beaten again.”

Lin Ke went to take promotional stills. Passing by the makeup room, she saw Lin Bingran surrounded by three makeup artists.

A big shot really was different.

Lin Ke thought sourly, On set, Lin Bingran is Teacher Lin, and I’m Teacher Xiao Lin. When someone is insignificant, even wanting a slightly lighter foundation is impossible. Lin Bingran, on the other hand, can be dressed up beautifully.

After the promotional stills were taken, Lu Tu kept a few original images. After retouching them, Lin Ke’s wheat-colored skin photos turned into hardcore magazine-cover shots, finally making up for the two beauty fans she had lost.

“What a waste of your talent,” Lin Ke said. “You’re amazing. Can you make my chin a little sharper too?”

Lu Tu had edited until she wanted to puke. She and Lin Ke prepared to return to the RV.

“The food has been bought. Rest for a while. The script reading starts at two and goes until four. After that, you’ll prepare for your scenes and wait for the twilight light to film Scene 2.”

When they left the studio, they saw Lin Bingran entering through the back door.

Lin Ke curled up inside the RV and read the script. The next page of the script was Scene 2.

It was the first meeting between the female lead and the second female lead.

No wonder Lin Bingran’s makeup was so exquisite.

“Possessed?” Lu Tu waved a hand to bring her back to her senses. “Eat.”

Lu Tu served her a portion of salad, squeezed dressing over it, then cut a fist-sized cake in half and only gave Lin Ke half.

Lin Ke placed the script aside and casually complained, “This is even more vegetarian than what monks eat.”

After finishing the styling photos, Lin Bingran walked out from under the spotlight.

Guo Rongrong quickly took tissues and wiped her sweat, asking with concern, “Are you tired?”

Lin Bingran said, “I’m hungry.”

They solved lunch on the spot. Even a film queen had to control her weight. Lin Bingran’s lunch was vegetable salad with chicken breast, and the staple food was a bowl of purple rice porridge.

Guo Rongrong said, “Jie, repost the official Weibo.”

Lin Bingran did not look at her phone while eating. After finishing, she leaned against the reclining chair and opened her phone. After reposting the official crew post, she saw a related recommendation.

[Lin Keke @Lin Bingran / Teacher Lin, please take care of me from now on (cute) (cute) / Wind Chime has officially started filming /]

The Weibo post had been posted two hours ago.

Guo Rongrong said, “Jie, while you’re at it, follow the other teachers in the crew.”

Lin Bingran raised an eyebrow. “Did the company buy a trending topic?”

Guo Rongrong nodded. “They bought a trending topic for Lin Ke’s ugly photos. In the opening ceremony photos, there are a few shots of her from especially bad angles.”

That styling was not actually ugly. On Lin Ke, it even had a natural, unpolished beauty, a return to simplicity. She looked like a little animal from the mountains and wilderness. The freckles and wheat-colored skin were all there to make the character more three-dimensional.

Lin Ke’s face was absolutely top-class. It could withstand the test of the big screen, with no dead angles. Changing her styling was like changing her face. She could play any kind of character and had high malleability. This was also one of the reasons Shen Feng had chosen Lin Ke for the crew. The styling could be rustic, but the actor could not be unattractive.

Lin Bingran pondered. “No need to follow Lin Ke. Buy some paid commenters and say she came crawling on her knees to follow Lin Bingran.”

Guo Rongrong thought for a moment, then gave Lin Bingran a thumbs-up. “That’s really wicked.”

After the noon break, Lu Tu woke Lin Ke up half an hour early.

“Get up and clear your head for a while. I brewed tea for you.”

Lin Ke was still dazed after waking up. It was the height of summer, and the sun was dazzling, brighter than Ultraman’s laser beam.

“Have the haters cursed me?” Lin Ke asked.

Lu Tu had already been fighting with haters on a side account for an hour. She said, “Lin Bingran actually didn’t follow you back! Also… considering that you ‘accidentally’ liked Lin Bingran’s black material a few days ago, and today you eagerly curried favor by saying ‘Teacher Lin, please take care of me,’ everyone is mocking you, asking if you’re afraid of being fired by the crew, so you grovelled to the film queen.”

Lu Tu analyzed, “For it to hit the trending searches in such a short time, the great demon king probably hired paid commenters.”

Lin Ke was fully awake now. She grabbed the blanket on her knees and flung it hard onto the floor. She was so angry that her pheromones started sizzling out.

“I told you it was unnecessary to follow her! On the surface, she acts calm, indifferent, and so not fake, but behind the scenes, she really is a great demon king!”