Acting Out of Character (GL) - Chapter 6

After checking the flight information, Luo Jingyi saw that she would not arrive at Wuyi Mountain Airport until after eleven that night.

She sent Zhao Lian a WeChat message, telling her there was no need to come to the airport. Someone from the production team would pick her up and take her to the hotel.

When Zhao Lian received Luo Jingyi’s message, she felt as though she had been granted a royal pardon.

After an exhausting day, her tense nerves immediately relaxed. She had originally needed to collect the Empress Dowager late at night.

She had not expected another servant to be available to wait on the Empress Dowager, so Zhao Lian immediately took a shower and prepared to sleep.

Before going to bed, however, she was still a little worried. Would Teacher Luo be all right without a personal assistant by her side to look after her?

Zhao Lian sent Luo Jingyi a voice message:

“Teacher Luo, can you manage on your own?”

Luo Jingyi was rereading De Profundis and had just reached a passage—

“Meeting you was dangerous for me, but meeting you at that particular time proved fatal. At that point in your life, all you did was scatter seeds into the earth, while I had already reached the season when everything was being harvested and brought into the storehouse.”

After finishing the line, Luo Jingyi replied to Zhao Lian:

“I’m not going to get lost.”

Zhao Lian sent her a “mwah” reaction image. “Call me if you need anything.”

Luo Jingyi replied, “Go get some rest.”

By the time Chen Ge arrived at the airport in the production van, the assistant director was still asleep, snoring thunderously.

The driver would not have disturbed him if they did not still have work to do.

“Hey, Director Hu. Wake up. We’re at the airport.”

Director Hu let out a violent snort, opened his eyes with an “Hm?” and took a moment to remember who he was and where he was.

When he saw the huge words “Wuyi Mountain Airport” ahead of him, displayed like the sign of a roadside food stall, everything came back to him.

“Oh, we’re already here?”

Director Hu took out the essential follow-cam tool, a GoPro, and attached it to a monopod. He turned around, preparing to explain the upcoming pickup scene to Qian Yu, only to discover a young woman sitting in the back.

She seemed to be the actress from White Horse Pictures who had arrived earlier that day.

Qian Yu was nowhere to be seen.

Confused, Director Hu asked, “Why is it you?”

Chen Ge had just finished watching a film. She slipped her phone into her trouser pocket and said, “Director Feng asked me to pick someone up.”

“Huh? She asked you to come?”

“Mm.”

Director Hu found this strange. Hadn’t Qian Yu been told to come? Why had they suddenly changed the plan and sent someone else?

And they had replaced him with a young woman?

Wasn’t Qian Yu supposed to form a CP with Director Feng’s amateur friend? Had that changed?

A woman forming a CP with another woman… Well…

Director Hu had spent several years in the entertainment industry. Although he had never achieved much, even while working at the bottom, he had witnessed plenty of astonishing things in the business.

There was nothing unusual about two women forming a CP. Audiences’ tastes were growing increasingly varied. As long as the pairing was appealing, it did not matter whether they were a man and woman or two people of the same gender. The audience would ship them.

Besides, there were plenty of lesbians in the industry. He personally knew several couples.

The script and planning were none of his business. Although he held the title of assistant director, he was essentially an errand runner.

Doing whatever the chief director ordered was a basic requirement for assistant directors.

“Did Director Feng say anything else?” Director Hu asked.

Chen Ge recalled Qian Yu telling her they were coming to collect Director Feng’s lover and that everything needed to remain discreet.

The assistant director seemed unaware of the matter and looked as though he wanted to pry.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Chen Ge had always followed the principle of speaking less and working more whenever she was outside. When Director Hu questioned her, she merely shook her head.

Director Hu took out his phone, intending to call Feng Yunxin, only to discover that the battery had died and the phone had switched itself off.

Fine. They were only filming some footage. The editors could use it later if they wanted. If not, they could throw it away.

Director Hu had worked with many production teams and understood exactly what sort of thing this particular crew was making.

How many people would even watch it after it was released?

They were not making a film. There was no need to be so cautious.

After checking the time and seeing that the passenger would soon arrive, Director Hu got out of the van with Chen Ge and headed toward the terminal.

Luo Jingyi and Feng Yunxin had agreed that her real name would never be used on the show. She had chosen a false name instead: Luo Xin.

The surname Luo, 罗, sounded like her real surname, 洛. Xin, meanwhile, was pronounced the same as the Xin in Feng Yunxin’s name, 歆.

After writing so many scripts, Luo Jingyi found naming characters extremely irritating. She had therefore mastered the skill of casually pulling characters from anywhere and stringing them together into a name.

The moment Feng Yunxin saw it, she knew Luo Jingyi had chosen it carelessly with her eyes closed. She even joked:

“What a wonderful name. It’s the child of our love.”

Luo Jingyi had brought two large suitcases and a backpack, all stacked on a luggage trolley.

Wearing sunglasses, she pushed the trolley toward the exit.

Wuyi Mountain Airport was the smallest airport she had ever visited, but the air-conditioning was strong. Draped over her body was a white cable-knit mulberry-silk coat that reached her calves, its two sides connected by a delicate double-loop chain. She paired it with straight black trousers and high heels. Every detail of her appearance was mature and meticulously arranged.

Her long, wavy hair spilled across her shoulders. Teacher Luo walked through the small mountain airport as though it were a runway.

Several young women traveling together to Wuyi Mountain repeatedly looked back at her, quietly discussing which female celebrity she might be to possess such an imposing presence.

Chen Ge stood beside Director Hu at the arrivals exit, holding an A4 sheet of white paper bearing the words “Luo Xin.”

Whenever someone walked out, Chen Ge raised the paper slightly and looked at them with hopeful anticipation.

Yet after a long while, Luo Xin still had not appeared.

After filming Chen Ge for some time, Director Hu leaned against the railing and yawned repeatedly.

“We don’t even have a photograph. We have no idea what she looks like. What if we miss her?”

Working in the middle of the night was exhausting enough, but this production team was also extremely stingy. He would not earn much despite all the trouble. Director Hu sighed constantly, looking listless and complaining without pause.

Chen Ge said, “We won’t miss her. I’m watching carefully, so don’t worry. Director Hu, you look tired. Why don’t you sit down and rest? You can even take a nap. I’ll wake you once she arrives.”

Director Hu was tempted, although he said, “How could I do that? I still need to film.”

“Give me the GoPro. I’ll film myself.”

Director Hu did not bother being polite. He handed the GoPro directly to Chen Ge, gave her a thumbs-up, and sat to one side to close his eyes and rest.

Chen Ge watched as nearly everyone from that group of passengers left. The flight had landed, so the person they were waiting for should appear at any moment.

Waiting for someone was always the hardest part. It was already past midnight, and her eyelids kept drooping.

A tall woman pushing a luggage trolley turned the corner and emerged from inside. Although sunglasses concealed most of her face, her figure was immediately striking.

Chen Ge instantly woke up and raised the A4 paper in her hand once again.

The tall woman walked toward her and asked, “Are you from the Our Rural Life production team?”

Luo Jingyi’s voice was slightly deeper than that of most women. She also spoke at an unhurried pace, making her seem exceptionally composed.

Yet to other people, her tone naturally carried an invisible pressure.

Chen Ge felt as though she had encountered the school’s strict dean. She made an affirmative sound and nodded several times, nearly losing her grip on the GoPro.

Luo Jingyi asked, “And you are?”

Chen Ge introduced herself. “My name is Chen Ge. Director Feng asked me to come and pick you up.”

Luo Jingyi removed her sunglasses and studied the young woman before her.

What was Feng Yunxin thinking? It was bad enough that she wanted Luo Jingyi to promote a CP, but she had even found a young woman to do it with her?

Luo Jingyi complained inwardly—even if your show is hopelessly obscure, you can’t pair me romantically with some young girl, can you?

Even pretending to date her would be rather immoral.

A little puppy? This was supposed to be a little puppy?

Although she was not short and appeared to be over 170 centimeters tall, her small face was cute and delicate. She was clearly a tender little flower. In what way did she resemble a puppy?

And Feng Yunxin had told Luo Jingyi to order her around however she wanted…

With those slender arms and legs, what would happen if Luo Jingyi ordered her around and accidentally broke her?

Now that Luo Jingyi had revealed her eyes, the confusion within them made her appear beautiful—and even fiercer.

After enduring several moments beneath her stare, Chen Ge began to feel uncomfortable and thought:

I haven’t done anything wrong, have I? Why is Director Feng’s lover looking at me like that?

Her thoughts suddenly stopped there as Chen Ge realized something astonishing.

Director Feng’s lover…

Was a woman?

Why was she a woman?

Director Feng was—was she into women?!

Well…

Luo Xin was a name that could belong to either a man or a woman.

Having discovered an enormous secret, Chen Ge froze in place and did not dare breathe for several moments.

So that was why they needed to remain discreet and could not spread the news around. Director Feng probably had not come out yet.

With that thought, Chen Ge suddenly felt as though she had been entrusted with a great responsibility. She took the luggage trolley from Luo Jingyi and said:

“Sister Luo, the car prepared for you is already waiting in the parking lot. Are you going to Director Feng’s place tonight, or…?”

Seeing Chen Ge so proactively offer her assistance, Luo Jingyi felt that this really did resemble an attempt to develop chemistry between a CP. Complicated feelings arose in her heart.

“I won’t go to Li Village to meet her tonight. I’m returning to my hotel. It has already been booked.”

“All right.”

Chen Ge pushed the luggage trolley for her. The two took the elevator down to the parking lot, and when they reached the van, the driver asked:

“Where’s Old Hu?”

Even though Chen Ge was still holding the GoPro, she had completely forgotten about Director Hu.

He had been sitting there resting and had probably fallen asleep. She had forgotten to wake him.

Chen Ge scratched her cheek and said apologetically, “I was so focused on picking her up that I forgot Director Hu. I’ll go find him now.”

She placed the GoPro inside the van and moved all of Luo Jingyi’s luggage into the trunk, giving Luo Jingyi no opportunity to lift anything herself.

Only then did Luo Jingyi notice that although the young woman’s arms looked slender, they had beautifully defined lines. She clearly exercised regularly.

“Sister Luo, wait here for a moment. I’ll be quick.”

After loading the luggage, Chen Ge hurried back upstairs without stopping to rest.

Luo Jingyi watched her retreating figure and thought that the young woman was probably only twenty-five or twenty-six.

She was efficient and dependable, and pleasant to look at as well.

Since her chosen CP partner seemed fairly good, Luo Jingyi’s mood improved considerably despite having been threatened and deceived into coming by Feng Yunxin.

Author’s Note:

Luo Jingyi: Mm. I’m quite satisfied with this CP.

Chen Ge and Feng Yunxin: …
(They don’t dare speak.)