After Losing My Memory, I Was Targeted by the Obsessive Movie Queen [gl] - Chapter 39

“Kept woman”? “Kept” as in what?

Yan He’s brows shot up in surprise. She stared at the chat logs on the phone screen with disbelief, wanting to take a closer look, but Lu Youqing had already swiped past with her fingertip, leaving only a blur of text.

Yan He turned her head in confusion to look at Lin Le. Lin Le seemed to have caught that speculative message as well and was looking at her with deep worry.

Shifting her gaze, Yan He sat down beside Lu Youqing with a swirl of complicated emotions. Lu Youqing retracted her hand and pushed the phone back toward Lin Le.

“I see,” she said simply, before picking up her chopsticks and beginning to eat with an air of relaxed composure.

Lin Le watched her uneasily, glanced at Yan He, and finally couldn’t help but speak up.

“Should we report this to Sister Xue? Right now it’s just speculation in the group chat, but if it leaks to the internet and netizens see it, it might cause a total uproar.”

Lu Youqing’s hand paused mid-air. She looked up briefly at Lin Le, then curved her lips into a smile. “I’ll tell Sister Xue.”

Hearing Lu Youqing’s affirmative answer, Lin Le took her phone back. Looking at the two of them sitting so closely together, she picked up her own lunch box and tactfully left the trailer.

Silence fell over the vehicle. Yan He and Lu Youqing focused on their food; only the sound of chewing remained.

Yan He bit into a vegetable, frowning at the lunch box in front of her. She looked up at Lu Youqing, pondered for a long time, and finally couldn’t contain her curiosity.

“What did Lin Le show you just now? What were you two talking about?”

Lu Youqing raised an eyebrow. “Finally willing to talk to me?”

Yan He blinked. “What?”

Lu Youqing set down her chopsticks and looked at her with half-lidded eyes. “I thought A-He was giving me the silent treatment because she was angry. I didn’t realize you were thinking about that.” She placed the box on the table, her porcelain-white knuckles tapping a rhythmic pattern on the surface.

“What Lin Le showed me were the staff group chat logs. They’re very interested in the relationship between you and me.”

Yan He recalled the words “kept woman” she had glimpsed earlier and felt a wave of internal speechlessness. They certainly have active imaginations.

But then she thought about it—her current state, amnesiac and seemingly unemployed, did look a bit like a “little lover” being kept by a big Movie Queen. A little lover who missed the star so much she had to travel in disguise just to see her. Now, with the two of them alone in a trailer, it really did look like they were playing out a secret “kept woman” drama.

Shocked by her own imagination, Yan He self-consciously rubbed her ear and fell silent.

Lu Youqing didn’t know Yan He had seen the chat, so she had no idea what was going on in Yan He’s head. Seeing Yan He lower her head, she assumed Yan He was thinking about retreating and hiding their relationship again. Panic flared in her heart, and she lunged forward to seize Yan He’s hand, pinning it tightly in her palm.

“A-He promised me. You can’t go back on it.” She stared at Yan He, her eyes clear as water but filled with a touch of grievance. Her grip, however, was far from gentle; she squeezed so hard that red marks began to appear on their fair skin.

Yan He was startled. Being stared at with such a burning intensity, she didn’t know what to say. “I know. I wasn’t thinking of going back on it.”

Lu Youqing stared at her fixedly. Only after confirming there was no hint of retreat in her gaze did she let her heart settle. “I’ll believe you for now.” She released her grip and, seeing the red marks on Yan He’s hand, began to blow on them gently.

Yan He watched her blankly. Everywhere Lu Youqing’s breath brushed past felt as if it were catching fire. Even her face began to burn. Lu Youqing’s movements were incredibly tender; her head was lowered, and a few strands of hair fell forward, partially veiling her exquisite face.

Yan He turned her head toward the window to look away, but she suddenly remembered what she had seen earlier.

“When I opened the door for Lin Le earlier, I think I saw someone taking photos of us.”

Lu Youqing’s movements paused. She looked up, signaling for her to continue.

Yan He swallowed and chose her words carefully. “I was thinking, maybe we should tell Sister Xue. That way, when the news breaks, we can control the narrative and guide the public opinion in a way that’s good for you, rather than being caught off guard.”

Lu Youqing let go of her hand and smiled. “Okay. I’ll give Sister Xue a call after lunch.”

From Yan He’s words, Lu Youqing realized that Yan He wasn’t worried about their relationship being discovered—she was worried about the public backlash for Lu Youqing’s sake. That alone was enough to make her heart soar.

Lu Youqing couldn’t resist reaching out for a hug.

Feeling the tightness of the embrace, Yan He was about to pull away when she heard Lu Youqing say, “You can’t move. This is part of an assistant’s job.” As she spoke, she tightened her arms further.

Yan He froze and asked instinctively, “An assistant has to do this?”

Lu Youqing paused, looking up with a slight frown. “Only when you are the assistant do you have to do this.” She buried her head back into the crook of Yan He’s neck, closing her eyes and leaning her full weight against her—a posture of total, comfortable relaxation.

Yan He laughed softly. “Aren’t you mixing business with pleasure? I should protest.” Despite her words, her arms obediently held Lu Youqing to keep her from falling.

Lu Youqing nuzzled against her. “I’ll give you a raise.”

“Fine then.”

Lu Youqing and Yan He stayed in the trailer until it was time for the next scene. Yan He opened the door for her, and the moment it swung wide, she felt a barrage of gazes—some stealthy, some blatant—landing on her. She straightened her spine and swallowed hard.

Lu Youqing stepped out slowly. She was still in her thin costume, with the heavy, soft down jacket over it. Coming from the warm interior into the cold wind, she shivered instinctively. Yan He saw this and immediately stepped to her windward side to block the breeze. She thought she heard a faint gasp from someone in the distance.

Yan He supported Lu Youqing as they walked toward the filming site. Along the way, they ran the gauntlet of countless eyes—curious, calculating, and mostly gossipy.

Yan He’s walking posture grew a bit stiff under the scrutiny. The hand supporting Lu Youqing was suddenly squeezed by a warm, soft palm. Yan He gripped her fingers back, silently comforting her.

To an outsider, this looked like perfectly normal interaction between staff and boss. Since Lu Youqing was only holding Yan He’s fingers, it could even be interpreted as their hands accidentally brushing against each other.

Once they reached the site, Lu Youqing let go of Yan He’s hand to discuss the script with the director. Yan He sat down obediently beside Lin Le to wait.

Whenever staff members passed by, Yan He could feel their curious eyes. Annoyed, she buried herself deeper into her scarf.

From her vantage point, she could see Lu Youqing’s profile—the sharp, clear jawline, the superior brow bone and nose bridge—all of which spoke to the incredible beauty of her features. Even in this cold, her pale, frozen cheeks looked exceptionally ethereal, like unblemished snow—pure and stunning.

Because of the role, Lu Youqing wasn’t wearing heavy makeup. In fact, she wasn’t wearing any at all; the makeup artist actually had to work to hide her natural allure and sharpness a little.

Yan He had read the script before. It was about a woman named Qi Mi who, while packing to return to her hometown after losing her job, accidentally finds the diary of her deceased older sister. She follows the diary to find the paths her sister walked and the people she knew, piecing together a complete picture of her sister’s life, and eventually burns the diary to become just like her.

The older sister, Qi Yi, was a very sunny person. To create a contrast, the younger sister had to appear melancholy and desolate. This was why Lu Youqing’s attire and expression were so somber. This particular scene was about what happened when Qi Mi went to the home of her sister’s ex-girlfriend.

The filming went perfectly. Lu Youqing’s acting was powerful enough to pull anyone into the emotion, and Yan He found herself immersed in the heavy atmosphere.

The ex-girlfriend character was drunk and mistook Qi Mi for her deceased sister. She stood up, crying, and hugged her tightly while professing her love. Seeing this, Yan He’s eyes widened. She sharply looked away, her heart thumping with a sudden, unbreathable frustration.

Even though she knew it was just acting, seeing Lu Youqing being held by someone else sparked a flash of nameless anger in her chest.

She kept her head turned away, losing all sense of immersion. She just wanted the scene to end quickly, thinking it wouldn’t take much longer. But the reality was far from her expectations.

The actress playing the ex-girlfriend couldn’t get into the right emotional state, and the director, who was incredibly strict, remained unsatisfied. The scene was reshot eight or nine times before it was finally finished.

Once it was over, the director gave everyone a twenty-minute break. Yan He, with a slight frown, walked over with the down jacket and draped it over Lu Youqing.

Lu Youqing was chatting with the actress. Yan He stood beside her, shielding her from the wind, and naturally overheard their conversation.

“I’m so sorry, Teacher Lu, for making you redo this so many times,” the actress said, pressing her palms together in apology.

“It’s okay. the final result was perfect,” Lu Youqing waved it off. She then turned and walked with Yan He back to their seats.

Yan He sat there quietly, placing hand warmers for Lu Youqing and pouring hot water, acting every bit like a devoted assistant. However, her face was devoid of emotion, looking as if someone owed her a million dollars.

Lu Youqing looked at her with a confused frown, holding the hot water Yan He had poured. She reached out with one hand and tugged at Yan He’s sleeve. “A-He?”

Yan He looked at her and asked with concern, “Do you feel cold anywhere?”

Lu Youqing shook her head and retracted her hand. Yan He reached out to pull the down jacket tighter around her and zipped it up to ensure no cold wind could get in. Only then did she return to her tasks. Lu Youqing buried her face in the collar of the jacket, watching her bustle about with only her eyes showing.

Yan He shook the thermos and found it was empty. She was about to go refill it when she felt a tug on her coat. She turned and met Lu Youqing’s eyes, which were filled with a cunning smile.

Lu Youqing’s eyes were bright, like a little fox’s, her clear pupils reflecting Yan He’s image.