A OO Love After Officially Announcing with the Best Actress - Chapter 8

Xiao Wang returned with the water and searched everywhere for Lin Ke. Failing to find her, he was first drawn by the commotion downstairs. When he realized his artist was still missing, a bone-chilling panic surged through him.

He tossed the mineral water aside and grabbed his phone to call Lu Tu.

Just as the call connected, Lin Ke appeared and asked, “What are you doing?”

Xiao Wang cut the call before it could be answered and hurriedly asked, “Where did you go?!”

Lin Ke gave a light cough. “Nowhere, just walked around a bit.”

Xiao Wang looked at her suspiciously, pointing to the corner of Lin Ke’s mouth: “Cream. You didn’t wipe off the cream.”

Lin Ke gave an “Oh,” wiped it off casually, and brushed past Xiao Wang toward the set. “Let’s go, back to prep.”

Xiao Wang followed her, took one step, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head!

Good heavens! How were there two giant footprints on her back?!

“How are you?” Guo Rongrong asked. “Are you hurt?”

Lin Bingran shook her head, sitting cross-legged on the mattress in the motorhome.

Guo Rongrong found a set of new clothes and handed them to Lin Bingran. The phone rang; it was Lin Bingran’s manager, Du Yi.

Guo Rongrong didn’t avoid Lin Bingran and answered, “Brother Yi.”

Du Yi gave a hum. Guo Rongrong had notified him immediately when the situation occurred on set. He asked, “How is Bingran?”

Guo Rongrong said: “She’s okay. Not hurt, just her clothes got dirty.”

Du Yi: “Did you call the police?”

Guo Rongrong replied: “Just got back from the station. That person was taken away by the police. Director Shen’s people controlled the scene immediately. There aren’t many people here, and not many locals living in the new Ancient Town, so don’t worry—the news won’t leak out.”

Du Yi: “I’ve already bought the photos the paparazzi took. Fortunately, Bingran isn’t hurt. In a little while, post the Weibo about the fan visit; the company will buy a trending spot.”

Lin Bingran came out after changing and sat at the small table in the motorhome to brew herself a cup of light tea.

Guo Rongrong spoke with Du Yi for a few more moments, mentioning the fan group. “They’re all old fans with disciplined mouths; it should be fine.”

After explaining everything, Du Yi sighed and said, “It was my oversight. Apologize to Bingran for me.”

Guo Rongrong didn’t dare overstep and said, “Sister Ranran is right here.”

Lin Bingran reached out her hand, and Guo Rongrong handed over the phone.

“A-Yi,” Lin Bingran said.

Du Yi: “Bingran, I apologize to you. I shouldn’t have let you take the risk.”

Lin Bingran wasn’t particularly angry. She had experienced plenty of this kind of thing in the past; having a close call was always lucky. She said, “It’s not your fault, but don’t arrange any public activities for a while.”

Du Yi immediately promised: “I’ll cancel two appearances and come to the water town to look after you.”

“No need,” Lin Bingran said. “You’re busy with a thousand things. I have Rongrong with me, that’s enough.”

Du Yi: “You’re short-handed. I’ll send two people over. I’ll pick them personally.”

After a brief chat, Lin Bingran hung up and said, “Book a hotel room for Du Yi.”

Guo Rongrong nodded. After all the turmoil, the 3:00 PM schedule was moved to the evening. The call sheet was changed to an overnight shoot. Shen Feng told Lin Bingran to get some good rest and prepare for the night scenes.

“Have the fans been sent off?” Lin Bingran asked.

Guo Rongrong nodded, still feeling a lingering fear: “They were sent off after giving their statements. Luckily you’re okay…”

Lin Bingran nodded, gently sipping her tea. She said, “Someone saved me.”

Guo Rongrong remembered this. She had been busy running around like a headless chicken and had forgotten. “Who was it?”

Lin Bingran smiled: “Whoever loves sweets must be the one.”

The motorhome door was knocked twice. Guo Rongrong opened it, took a look, then quickly closed the door and stepped out.

Inside, the lights were on. Lin Bingran lowered her eyes, her lashes fluttering to hide a trace of lingering fear.

She had been dazed for a moment when it happened, with no time to react or be afraid before being taken away.

At the station giving her statement, she had appeared perfectly calm and composed, but her palms had long been wet with sweat. Now back, she remained poised, but her heart was filled with a mix of anger and irony.

Outside, there was the sound of quiet talking; Shen Feng had sent two temporary assistants for Lin Bingran.

Guo Rongrong thanked them but wasn’t sure if Lin Bingran would accept them.

Lin Bingran slid the window open. “Thank you. I’ll have to trouble you both for now.”

Guo Rongrong left the two assistants with Lin Bingran and went to handle some follow-up work herself.

Because of the incident with Lin Bingran, Lin Ke had an extra scene added in the afternoon—a pick-up shot of her studying alone in a classroom. Movie shots strive for perfection, so a single scene could take hours to polish.

Around four or five in the afternoon, the assistant director announced a five-minute break.

In the sweltering heat, Lu Tu took a bunch of cooling patches and stuck them on Lin Ke to lower her temperature. The two of them stood by a fan, though even the gusts of wind carried a wave of heat.

Lin Ke wiped her sweat and watched as foam boxes emitting cold air were brought in.

Lu Tu tilted her chin toward them. “Look, here comes the move to win people’s hearts.”

Treating everyone to drinks twice a day, and the evening bento boxes were arranged from the best hotel in the city. The atmosphere in the crew was harmonious; everyone acted as if the morning’s incident had never happened.

Lin Ke held her bento box and sat side-by-side with Lu Tu on the threshold of the first floor. Suddenly, a small shadow fell in front of her.

Lin Ke looked up in confusion. “Teacher Lin?”

Lin Bingran nodded, taking advantage of the dinner break to come and say thanks.

“Thanks.”

Lin Ke picked at her rice, grain by grain. “For what?”

Lu Tu spoke up: “You two chat. I’ll go get two bottles of water.”

Lin Ke: “…”

Lin Bingran: “Does your back still hurt?”

Lin Ke choked on a breath and stood up. “Teacher Lin… what do you mean?”

Lin Bingran smiled with her hands behind her back, pulled something out, and handed it to Lin Ke.

It was a tea pouch.

She said she’d have an assistant send it, so why did she bring it herself?

Lin Ke wasn’t sure how to take this.

Lin Bingran explained: “A sweet and sour scent—green plum, right? I heard it’s quite suitable for steeping in wine.”

Lin Ke’s mouth fell open slightly. Damn, Lin Bingran smelled her pheromones during that tackle?!

“Thank you for helping me,” Lin Bingran said, giving Lin Ke the kindest expression she’d shown her so far.

“Teacher Lin… it really wasn’t me, I didn’t, you might have it wrong.” Lin Ke went straight for a triple denial.

Lin Bingran tapped her own nose. “Within a three-mile radius, I can smell whatever you’re eating. Was the cake sweet?”

Lin Ke instinctively wiped the corner of her mouth.

Lin Bingran raised an eyebrow: “You think I wouldn’t be able to smell your pheromones?”

Lin Ke: “…With so many people, Teacher Lin might have smelled it wrong.”

Lin Bingran: “I smelled it once last night; do you think I’d forget?”

Lin Ke: “…”

Lin Bingran looked at her with amusement and pushed the tea pouch forward. “This one isn’t astringent.”

Lin Ke hung her head, unable to eat another grain of rice. She took the tea bag and said, “Thank you, but it really wasn’t me.”

Lin Bingran’s gaze gradually turned cold. “I’ve done what I needed to do.”

“Teacher Lin!” Lin Ke called after her, unable to help asking, “Has that person been investigated thoroughly?”

Lin Bingran’s expression sharpened, as if a sore spot had been touched. “None of your business.”

Lin Ke looked up and watched the Best Actress leave, then raised a hand to scratch at the spot over her heart.

Lu Tu hadn’t actually gone far; she had been hiding to eavesdrop. As soon as Lin Bingran left, she reappeared, saying in shock: “Best Actress Lin was the person who said you couldn’t keep your scent tucked away?”

Lin Ke said speechlessly: “Is that the point?”

Lu Tu tossed her bento aside and said: “You saved Best Actress Lin, why didn’t you say so?”

Lin Ke’s mouth hung open: “How do you know?!”

Lu Tu: “I can’t even be bothered to scold you. Can’t you just admit to saving someone like a normal person?”

Lin Ke: “Damn! I was so messy! Didn’t you say my own mother wouldn’t recognize me?!”

Lu Tu’s mouth twitched. “With so many eyes in the crew, you with those two big footprints on your back, running faster than a dog—the camera operators recognized you at a glance. Everyone is talking about it in private; they just haven’t said it to your face.”

“You really are fresh out of college,” Lu Tu lamented. “You’re so naive.”

Lin Ke rubbed her face, looking a bit disheveled.

Lu Tu asked: “What were you actually thinking?”

Lin Ke rubbed her face again and said awkwardly: “I’m Lin Bingran’s anti-fan. If I save her, wouldn’t that bring shame to anti-fans?”

Lu Tu: “…Then why did you save her?”

Lin Ke’s brow tightened. “In that situation, I would have saved anyone.”

She mumbled: “I originally wanted to walk away after the deed was done, hiding my merit and fame.”

Lu Tu was speechless: “Walk away? The whole crew knows. You think Lin Bingran doesn’t know?”

Lu Tu added with a sigh of realization: “Luckily you’re an Omega and Lin Bingran is also an Omega. Otherwise, with that move you two made, it really would be easy for a spark of love to fly.”

Lin Ke was flat-out shocked. “Are you trying to make me a lesbian?!”

Lu Tu spat out: “That would be the death of me! If you turn gay, I’d have to go bash my head against the gate of the Ancient Town!”

Lu Tu turned alert: “I’m telling you, filming is one thing! Reality is another. Don’t get so into the scene that you can’t come out.”

Lin Ke ate her bento and said, “I’m not gay, why wouldn’t I be able to come out of the scene? A spark of love is impossible, but a spark of enmity could light up the entire universe.”

Lu Tu: “…What a terrible metaphor. You do a good deed and then still want to bicker with people. You’ve wasted a perfect chance to build rapport.”

Lin Ke gave a “tch” and cursed herself: “It’s all for the sake of that damn pride!”

Lu Tu: “…”

After dinner, Lin Ke went back to the motorhome for a nap. They were shooting overnight. Shen Feng was coordinating shots and lighting on set. After setting up, she called all the actors over to run the scene.

Lin Bingran had already changed into her costume, wearing a small shawl like Li Fengling, resting one hand on the stairs.

Shen Feng directed Lin Ke toward the wooden staircase: “You come from here, thump-thump-thump, speed it up! Stop! Look up!”

Lin Ke looked up and met Lin Bingran’s eyes from just inches away.