The Male Lead's Sister Reborn (GL) - Chapter 9

On the first day of filming, the director Zhu Yu went straight for a big scene, shooting one of the film’s more intense kissing scenes.

“In professional terms, this is called ‘ice-breaking.’ It’s specifically done in the first scene to shoot a relatively intimate scene, immediately getting rid of the awkward phase between two new actors,” the assistant director explained to Shen Xiruo.

Shen Xiruo frowned, looking at Jiang Qian.

Inside the set’s bedroom, Jiang Qian was sitting on the edge of the bed, seriously brewing her emotions.

She was not just a university student like the original female lead; on the contrary, in her previous world, she had acted in quite a few films and had significant experience.

She calmed down and immersed herself in the character of Yuan Xinxin, the female protagonist of Affectionate You, seriously contemplating and experiencing the role.

Yuan Xinxin is a recent university graduate who enters the workplace and meets Jiang Yu, the aggressive and ruthless president of a competing company. Due to some misunderstandings, she becomes involved with Zhang Chu.

The scene today was the first kiss after Jiang Yu and Yuan Xinxin confirmed their relationship. It took place in Yuan Xinxin’s bedroom, romantic, beautiful, and pure.

The actor playing Jiang Yu, named Zhang Cheng, was a somewhat experienced new flower boy (pretty boy), who had met Jiang Qian at the script discussion meeting.

Zhang Cheng was sitting next to Jiang Qian, discussing a few lines with her, and enthusiastically reassured her: “It’s fine, it’s just a staged kiss. I won’t actually touch you.”

Jiang Qian waved her hand generously: “What’s the big deal? It’s all for work, I get it!”

Zhang Cheng then said, “Why don’t we run through the scene first? Then we won’t have to look for the feeling when we shoot it later.”

Jiang Qian nodded, and immediately her expression changed, instantly becoming the shy, yet sweet, style of a young girl, completely different from her previous outgoing demeanor.

Zhang Cheng also became nervous. He had thought Jiang Qian was just a rookie university student and wouldn’t have incredible acting skills, but now, seeing the change in Jiang Qian’s eyes alone, he knew this girl was not simple.

She was definitely going to be a massive star in the future! Zhang Cheng secretly decided that he must find a way to build a good relationship with Jiang Qian later!

“A’Yu, you’ve had a long day… Let me massage your shoulders.”

“Xinxin, your hands are so soft…”

“A’Yu… let go, I need to massage you.”

“Xinxin, I love you so much.”

“A’Yu…”

Then the two looked at each other with deep affection, and gradually, naturally, leaned into each other…

Suddenly, a cold voice swiftly called out: “Cut!”

Jiang Qian had already shamelessly rested her head on Zhang Cheng’s shoulder. Hearing the voice, she suddenly shuddered, feeling a little creeped out.

Sure… enough…

Although she had always known Shen Xiruo was watching her, she kept suppressing the thought, not allowing herself to dwell on it.

Otherwise, having a female CEO friend, with whom she had had a one-night stand, watch her act out a kissing scene with someone else—no matter how you thought about it, it was just too strange!

She spoke up, just as she expected… It must be too awkward for her to watch…

Jiang Qian swallowed her embarrassment and turned to look.

Shen Xiruo was standing in front of Director Zhu Yu’s camera, speaking very seriously about something, while Director Zhu Yu wore a frowning, reluctant expression.

As Shen Xiruo was talking, she seemed to sense Jiang Qian’s gaze. She looked up towards her, and at the same time, swept a cold, dagger-like look towards the male lead, Zhang Cheng, catching him off guard.

Zhang Cheng whispered fearfully to Jiang Qian: “Oh no, President Shen is too terrifying… Just one casual look from her, and I feel a chill down my spine!”

Seeing the two of them huddled together whispering, Shen Xiruo frowned even tighter.

Zhang Cheng felt a stronger, colder gaze and was almost terrified. He said to Jiang Qian, “I, I, I’m so scared! President Shen looks more like a domineering CEO just with her eyes than I do! Jiang Qian, I don’t dare to look up, can you check for me and see if she’s glaring at me?”

Jiang Qian looked up and happened to meet Shen Xiruo’s icy gaze, which seemed ready to kill.

However, the moment their eyes met, Shen Xiruo’s expression changed, transforming into a gentle, helpless, and warm look. She even nodded at Jiang Qian.

Jiang Qian saw Shen Xiruo mouth the words “You acted very well”!

Jiang Qian: ???

“Don’t think I didn’t see your look just now! Which master of traditional face-changing did you learn that from? That’s too powerful, a seamless switch!”

However, she couldn’t do anything about it. She just had to comfort Zhang Cheng with a complicated feeling: “It’s fine, she’s not glaring at you. She’s complimenting us on our acting.”

After a while, before the official filming started, Director Zhu Yu walked over and said to Jiang Qian and Zhang Cheng, “We won’t shoot the kissing scene for this take. Just a hug will do.”

Looking at the dejected Zhu Yu, and then at the menacing Shen Xiruo standing behind the camera, Jiang Qian instantly understood and her mood became even more complicated.

Zhang Cheng asked Zhu Yu, “Why the sudden change? We haven’t even started filming yet. Couldn’t we change it later if the effect isn’t good?”

Zhu Yu shook his head and said wearily, “President Shen said that the country’s standards for this kind of content are quite strict now. We need to make arrangements early to avoid potential risks.”

“She… she even brought out a big reason like that just to get rid of the kissing scene? Shen Xiruo, you’re amazing!”

Jiang Qian’s mood became even more, more, more complicated.

When the official filming started, whether it was due to the annoyance or something else, Zhu Yu passed the take in one go.

When Jiang Qian went down to rest, she saw Zhu Yu talking to the scriptwriter: “…Change all the kissing to hugging, and all the getting-into-bed scenes to lying in bed covered by blankets and chatting. Don’t even hint at anything…”

The scriptwriter argued fiercely: “But this is already the fade-to-black version! Look here, they just kiss, and then the screen immediately goes dark! It’s already below the neck; do we have to cut even more? Should it be below the scalp now?”

Zhu Yu pressed his forehead: “In short, the female lead cannot have intimate contact with the male lead! You figure out how to change it! Whether it’s below the scalp or below the hair, just get it changed!”

The scriptwriter frantically pulled at his hair: “But this is a romance drama! It’s not a platonic relationship! It’s a romance drama about normal people!”

Jiang Qian watched the scriptwriter and director’s meltdown with pity and sympathy. Turning her face, she suddenly saw someone hand her a cup of water.

She looked and saw it was her favorite Yuesè Milk Tea.

Joyfully accepting it and taking a sip, she found that it was also her favorite cranberry flavor.

“Wow! This is great, how is it exactly what I like? Thank you!”

A strange woman stood beside her, dressed quite professionally. She replied with a slight smile: “As long as you like it.”

Jiang Qian asked, “Who are you? I don’t think I’ve seen you on set before.”

The woman: “I’m Li Hong, a manager at Qingcheng Entertainment. President Shen asked me to come and speak with you. Do you have time for a chat after your shoot?”

“Holy cow! This is truly a one-stop service. How did she even find a manager?”

Jiang Qian looked around and saw Shen Xiruo standing in the distance, holding a cup of the same style of milk tea, and also looking in her direction.

Seeing Jiang Qian look over, Shen Xiruo raised her cup to her from afar.

Jiang Qian asked Li Hong, “Why isn’t she coming over?”

Li Hong glanced at Shen Xiruo and said with a smile, “She probably feels the need to maintain a distance.”

Jiang Qian was partially confused.

“Why didn’t Shen Xiruo maintain a distance when she was with me before? Why is she suddenly trying to keep her distance now? Did something happen?”

She still wanted to ask Shen Xiruo why she canceled all the kissing scenes, but she probably had to wait until after the shoot.

Since Shen Xiruo was maintaining a distance, Jiang Qian naturally wouldn’t crowd her and was also very serious about keeping her distance the whole time.

The filming went smoothly. After it was over, when Jiang Qian casually scanned the area, she saw that Shen Xiruo was gone, having disappeared somewhere.

Only Li Hong was there waiting for her. She led her out of the set and into an inconspicuous Mercedes-Benz.

Inside the car, Shen Xiruo was sitting there and waved to Jiang Qian: “You worked hard today.”

Seeing her there, Jiang Qian felt her held-up heart drop back down. She smiled and got into the car, speaking excitedly to Shen Xiruo: “It wasn’t hard at all. I’m so happy to be acting again! But if you’re a normal person watching, you might think acting is tedious, repeating the same take multiple times. Were you so bored that you left?”

Shen Xiruo pursed her lips and said gently and elegantly: “No, I really enjoyed watching you act. It was very interesting.”

Jiang Qian remembered her previous question and asked directly: “Then why did you keep your distance and stay so far away when I was resting?”

Shen Xiruo seemed slightly surprised, as if she couldn’t believe Jiang Qian would ask such a direct question.

After thinking for a moment, she said seriously: “I heard people on the set gossiping about you and my brother.”

“What the heck! Gossiping about me and Shen Xizhou?” Jiang Qian almost erupted in a fit of rage right there.

“How bored are they to spread that kind of rumor? If they don’t want their eyes, they can donate them to people in need. I even gave Shen Xizhou a good stomp on the foot. Why don’t they spread that?” Jiang Qian cursed angrily.

“So, I thought keeping my distance from you would be better for your future development,” Shen Xiruo said softly after Jiang Qian had finished venting.

“Ah? Is that so? It seems… well…” Jiang Qian was a bit conflicted. She felt that Shen Xiruo was unhappy, but the reason was very sound, and she couldn’t argue against it.

If she argued, wouldn’t it look like she was trying to climb the ladder using Shen Xiruo’s fame?

In the end, she had no choice but to remain silent, vaguely feeling that Shen Xiruo was truly devoted to her, and she, somehow, felt a little indebted to Shen Xiruo.

People in the entertainment industry are all scrambling to network with a super-CEO like Shen Xiruo. Actors all take the initiative, lowering themselves to curry favor and pursue such a connection.

Where else could you find a major CEO like Shen Xiruo, who was wholeheartedly helping her, taking her out to eat and play, yet had to compromise her own desires for Jiang Qian’s reputation, only able to silently accompany her from the background, and even stayed through her entire first day on set…

As Jiang Qian thought about it, she became emotional herself, and her eyes were slightly red.

After a moment, she reached out and carefully patted Shen Xiruo’s hand: “I’m sorry. I put you in an awkward position.”

Shen Xiruo glanced at Jiang Qian’s hand on her own and said gently, “It’s fine. I’m not offended.”

Li Hong, sitting in the passenger seat, looked at the scene in the rearview mirror, her eyes practically popping out.

“What is going on! Why has my domineering President Shen suddenly turned into a submissive, self-sacrificing little wife?”