Acting Out of Character (GL) - Chapter 29

Teacher Luo was going to sleep in the village tonight?

Zhao Lian lowered her phone and glanced at the deep darkness outside the window.

Since when had Teacher Luo ever agreed to sleep with anyone? Didn’t Her Excellency practically wish she could sleep alone on the moon, where no mortals could disturb her?

Why had she suddenly decided to let Chen Ge attend her in bed tonight… No, accompany her. Sleep with her. Ugh, none of those sounded right.

Zhao Lian had no time to think about it. Judging from Teacher Luo’s tone, the decision had already been made and could not be changed. She needed to pack Teacher Luo’s belongings and deliver them quickly.

Ever since Teacher Luo had failed to find a personal assistant, Zhao Lian had diligently taken over part of that work. She had done quite well, and Teacher Luo had noticed.

Two days earlier, Zhao Lian had received an enormous red packet from Luo Jingyi, equivalent to an entire month’s salary. She had been delighted.

At this moment, forget moving luggage and bringing a quilt—even if she had been asked to relocate the entire hotel room to Li Village, Zhao Lian would have been full of enthusiasm.

She loaded the suitcase and the quilt the hotel had packaged into the car, then hurried toward Li Village.

“Chen Ge is sleeping with me tonight.”

Luo Jingyi’s words and the sudden way she took Chen Ge’s hand were completely beyond Chen Ge’s expectations.

Luo Jingyi did not seem interested in explaining further. Even after ending the call, she did not release Chen Ge’s hand. Instead, she naturally turned slightly toward her and asked:

“Did you use too much strength? Does your hand hurt?”

Chen Ge nodded.

“I couldn’t tell. You usually seem like such an obedient child, yet you’re so ruthless when you strike.”

While speaking on the phone earlier, Luo Jingyi had glanced toward Song Ruyu twice. Song Ruyu had kept rotating her arm, apparently suffering from considerable soreness.

It was easy to imagine how hard Chen Ge had pinned her down.

Hearing Luo Jingyi describe her as “obedient” again, Chen Ge wondered whether she had somehow misunderstood her.

Chen Ge emphasized, “I didn’t genuinely use my full strength.”

Luo Jingyi laughed. “I couldn’t tell you were this wild.”

She asked a passing staff member for some medicated liquid and brought Chen Ge to the terrace.

They sat facing each other. Luo Jingyi applied the medicine and slowly helped rotate Chen Ge’s wrist.

“What, you could have been even more ruthless? Did you train before?”

“Sort of.”

Chen Ge did not seem particularly energetic. Anyone would find it difficult to recover immediately after such a confrontation.

Even though she was in a poor mood, she made no attempt to pull her hand from Luo Jingyi’s grasp.

Perhaps it was because Luo Jingyi’s kneading felt so comfortable. Or perhaps, after working alone away from home for so long, having someone stand unconditionally on her side whenever she suffered an injustice—supporting and protecting her—was something she had not experienced since leaving her mother and beginning an independent life.

“Were you bullied as a child?” Luo Jingyi asked without rushing, continuing to massage her wrist slowly.

She spoke casually to distract Chen Ge, as though merely asking out of curiosity.

Chen Ge’s eyes widened slightly.

She had not expected Luo Jingyi to guess so accurately and assumed it had merely been a random guess.

Seeing Chen Ge’s surprise, Luo Jingyi secretly smiled.

No matter what, I’m still an experienced screenwriter. I’ve observed many people and considered countless situations. Naturally, I can see through you.

But Chen Ge said, “It wasn’t exactly me who was bullied.”

Chinese was a fascinating language. Placing the subject in a different position could completely change what the sentence emphasized.

“Then who was bullied?” Luo Jingyi immediately understood. “Your mother?”

Chen Ge remained silent for a moment before nodding.

“I never met my father. He died in an industrial accident before I was born, so my mother raised me alone. Some people saw that it was only the two of us living together and began entertaining improper ideas. My mother worked overtime constantly to support me, and her health wasn’t good. I didn’t want her to be the only one protecting me. When I was in middle school, an older sister from a martial arts school happened to live downstairs, so I asked her to teach me some self-defense techniques. Later, when those bastards realized I was willing to fight desperately, they gradually stopped coming.”

Chen Ge described everything in a very calm tone. Afraid that mentioning the past might seem like an attempt to gain sympathy, she immediately smiled at Luo Jingyi.

“I was impressive, wasn’t I?”

Luo Jingyi nodded.

“Aren’t you an actress? The hardships of your past will become pillars supporting your artistic achievements. Your suffering won’t have been meaningless.”

Chen Ge responded with complete seriousness.

“Mm. I’ve always thought so too.”

“All done.”

While they talked, Luo Jingyi finished massaging her wrist.

“Move it around and see whether it still hurts. If the pain continues, we’ll need to visit the hospital.”

The instant she heard they might have to return to the hospital, Chen Ge immediately concealed any remaining pain.

“It doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t hurt. I only exerted force incorrectly and strained it slightly. It’ll be completely fine tomorrow morning.”

Luo Jingyi looked at her.

Not delicate. Good.

Anyone entering Luo Jingyi’s production could not be delicate. Delicate people could not become good actors.

As they continued chatting, someone knocked on the terrace’s glass door.

Feng Yunxin stood outside, tapping rhythmically with an unmistakably improper air.

“Come in. It isn’t locked,” Luo Jingyi said.

“I was afraid I might interrupt the two of you.”

Feng Yunxin entered with a wicked smile. She did not even look at Luo Jingyi and instead smiled directly at Chen Ge.

Chen Ge did not understand what that expression meant or what she could possibly be interrupting.

Perhaps it was some private signal between the two friends. Seeing Director Feng smile, Chen Ge smiled politely in response.

“Where’s Song Ruyu? Is she still acting insane?” Luo Jingyi gestured toward the refrigerator with her chin, indicating that since Feng Yunxin was already there, she could pour her a drink.

Feng Yunxin: “…”

Chen Ge was sitting right beside the refrigerator. Why didn’t she ask Chen Ge to do it?

There was no helping it. The Empress Dowager still needed to be served.

Feng Yunxin retrieved a glass and poured Luo Jingyi a drink, then took two cans of juice for herself and Chen Ge.

“She’s stopped. How would she dare continue? If she acts insane again, I’ll call the police. Her manager said she’s already heading toward the airport and will arrive around midnight to take her away.”

Feng Yunxin drained an entire can of juice, then asked Chen Ge:

“How much property did you lose? We need to make her compensate you before she leaves.”

Luo Jingyi answered on her behalf. “I saw that all her shirts and trousers were cut apart.”

Feng Yunxin said, “That’s deranged. Then compensation should begin at a hundred thousand.”

“A hundred thousand is too little,” Luo Jingyi said. “At least two hundred thousand.”

Chen Ge said, “But…”

Feng Yunxin did not give her an opportunity to object. She knew Luo Jingyi absolutely needed to vent her anger, and as Luo Jingyi’s good friend, Feng Yunxin had to handle it properly.

“Two hundred thousand. It’s settled. By the way, Luo… Xin, are you really staying here tonight? You’re genuinely staying?”

Luo Jingyi leisurely sipped her drink.

“Why? Weren’t you the one who begged me shamelessly to stay in the village before?”

“Yes, that was me. But weren’t you also the one who absolutely refused?”

Luo Jingyi clicked her tongue.

“Are you the only person here with a mouth? Why do you have so much nonsense to say? Have you prepared the room for me?”

“It was ready ages ago. Didn’t I already tell you that whenever you came, you’d receive villa treatment?”

Feng Yunxin smiled and stopped arguing with her. She turned toward Chen Ge.

“Look how attentive our Sister Luo is toward you. You’re truly Sister Luo’s precious little darling…”

Luo Jingyi aimed a murderous gaze at her.

Feng Yunxin immediately corrected herself.

“…She cares for you exactly as though you were her own daughter.”

Chen Ge laughed. “Sister Luo is only a few years older than me. How did Director Feng suddenly reduce my seniority to that of her daughter?”

“If you don’t want to be her daughter, there are vacancies for other, more intimate relationships.”

Chen Ge: “?”

Luo Jingyi said, “Did you come here only to gossip?”

Feng Yunxin immediately finished her juice.

“I came to report the state of the battle and request instructions for our next strategy. Besides, you’re staying away from the hotel tonight to protect our Xiao Chen. Naturally, I needed to ask how many beds to prepare.”

Chen Ge thought: So Sister Luo truly is staying because she’s afraid Song Ruyu will continue causing trouble for me.

Chen Ge had already suspected it, but thinking that way herself had felt somewhat presumptuous.

Now Director Feng had openly confirmed her suspicion, making Chen Ge feel even more guilty.

Sister Luo cared enormously about cleanliness. Even staying in a hotel made her uncomfortable, much less changing accommodations unexpectedly.

And judging by their conversation, Director Feng had apparently invited Sister Luo to stay with the production before, only to be refused.

Yet now, because of Chen Ge, she had volunteered to remain…

Chen Ge looked toward Luo Jingyi with gratitude and unease.

Luo Jingyi clicked her tongue at Feng Yunxin.

“How many beds could possibly fit inside that terrible room of yours?”

At such a critical moment, Feng Yunxin had to carefully consider Luo Jingyi’s true intentions.

Did Teacher Luo merely possess a Bodhisattva’s compassionate heart and come to rescue Chen Ge from suffering, or did she genuinely feel something more toward her?

But…

Although Chen Ge carried a slightly queer air, after several days of working together, Feng Yunxin had not noticed any obvious signs of a secret crush.

Teacher Luo, on the other hand, had thoroughly enjoyed teasing the young woman. Her entire script was filled with promotional scenes between herself and Chen Ge.

After organizing her thoughts, Feng Yunxin became certain that what Luo Jingyi wanted was definitely one bed—and to share it.

She answered honestly:

“There’s only one bed. There’s no helping it. The production has many people, and beds are scarce.”

Luo Jingyi felt pleased internally, but still sounded disdainful.

“You call it a villa when it has only one bed?”

Feng Yunxin: “…”

Keep acting like this and I’ll stuff two enormous beds into the room—far enough apart that even if you perform somersaults, you won’t touch Chen Ge!

Chen Ge said, “Sister Luo, perhaps you should still return to the hotel. I can manage by myself. I’m not afraid of her. Besides, Director Feng is here too.”

“You’re driving me away?” Luo Jingyi said. “Fine. I’ll leave.”

Chen Ge had not expected her to genuinely prepare to leave immediately.

Feeling as though she had ruined Luo Jingyi’s kindness, Chen Ge hurried forward and caught her hand.

“No, no! That isn’t what I meant! I was afraid you wouldn’t be accustomed to staying here!”

Chen Ge was genuinely anxious.

She and Luo Jingyi were not particularly familiar yet, and she had not mastered her personality. She had not expected a single sentence to anger her and now blamed herself intensely.

“Is that so?” Luo Jingyi said. “I thought you didn’t want to stay with me.”

“How could that be?” Chen Ge said. “Of course I want to…”

She stopped halfway, too embarrassed to continue. Saying it aloud felt strangely intimate even between friends.

But Chen Ge did not release Luo Jingyi’s hand, afraid that the moment she did, Luo Jingyi would leave again.

Her expression completely calm, Luo Jingyi enjoyed Chen Ge’s anxious and caring appearance with deep satisfaction.

After a moment, she slowly said:

“All right. Then I’ll stay here tonight.”

Chen Ge immediately beamed, smiling like a small puppy whose owner had just stroked its head.

Luo Jingyi was now certain.

Chen Ge was ruthless toward everyone else but soft only with her.

Luo Jingyi basked in Chen Ge’s concern and immersed herself completely in the feeling of being cherished by her.

Watching from the side, Feng Yunxin could hardly bear to look.

When this withered tree encountered spring, it wasn’t merely growing a few branches and tender leaves.

It practically wanted to bloom on top of its own head and sway its waist flirtatiously in the spring breeze.

Author’s Note:

Teacher Luo: After going around in a circle, she’s still the little puppy who’s soft only toward me.

Chen Ge wags her tail and raises her ears. ///