Chapter 15

"..." Qin Lan looked at the script in disbelief and then turned to Yan Li: "Are you sure you're playing Yu Wen Chengdu?" Yan Li pointed to the words on the script: "Isn't it written here?" "But..." Qin Lan stared at the lines of dialogue, struggling to find a polite and appropriate way to describe her feelings, finally managing to say: "You really don't pick your roles." Yan Li sighed as well: "I'm just trying to make a living. The contract is signed, I can't just back out. As a newcomer, it's good to have a role at all." Upon hearing this, Qin Lan nodded in empathy. The role of Yu Wen Chengdu wasn't anything special, but the character she played in My Fair Princess 3—Zhi Hua—wasn't much better either. Outwardly gentle and kind, pitiful, yet inwardly deceitful, malicious, and unscrupulous. For Qin Lan herself, she didn't like the character, even hated it. It was awkward to perform; Zhi Hua spoke and acted in a pretentious, calculating way, which was a far cry from Qin Lan’s own straightforward and cheerful personality. But as a newcomer, Qin Lan didn’t have much choice. Even though she didn’t like the role, she still cherished the opportunity to be in a Qiong Yao production. She used her own experience to comfort Yan Li, and that's when he learned that Qin Lan was also playing a villain. Before, when he saw Qin Lan in costume, looking delicate and gentle, he had assumed she was playing a character like Zi Wei or Qing Er. "We're both in the same boat," Yan Li remarked with some feeling, and this sparked a resonance in Qin Lan’s heart, stirring up small waves inside her. Both of them were newcomers, both playing villains they didn't like, both facing similar situations and emotions, and meeting each other here at this moment. With so many connections between them, could they truly only be friends? Yan Li wasn't aware of Qin Lan’s inner thoughts. At this moment, his focus was on the rehearsal. The scene he had called Qin Lan for was the one where they had to rehearse the lines for the character Li Rong Rong, which was also the most troubling and uncomfortable part for him to perform as Yu Wen Chengdu. As a newcomer in the film industry, Yan Li didn’t have much experience. Back in school, he had played roles like a mischievous young man who teased women, but he had never been taught, nor dared to play, a role like this, a villainous teacher leading the queue. So, when it came to performing this important scene for the first time, Yan Li decided to go with his usual approach: Rehearse it many times until he was completely comfortable! This habit was something he had developed during his time at Beijing Film Academy, where he would rehearse difficult performances multiple times for exams or school plays, fine-tuning them until he felt confident. Before asking Qin Lan for help, Yan Li had already practiced this scene several times and even asked people like Wang Xiu to help him rehearse. But such a scene still required some feedback and interaction from a female actor. When he rehearsed with Wang Xiu, whose round face was framed with a beard, and considering his sexual orientation, Yan Li found it hard to immerse himself in the scene. Other female actors in Sui Tang Heroes were not familiar to him, and this scene was a little awkward for him to ask for help. He didn’t want rumors to spread; if they did, he'd be done in the crew. That’s when he thought of Qin Lan. First, they were at least somewhat friends, so it was easier to ask her for help. Second, Qin Lan wasn’t part of the Sui Tang Heroes crew, so even if she laughed or joked about it privately, it wouldn't spread to the whole crew. After encouraging Qin Lan to familiarize herself with the script, Yan Li was ready to start the rehearsal. Before speaking, he carefully looked around to make sure no one was nearby or passing by. He didn’t mind embarrassing himself, but the lines were so intense, he was worried that someone might misunderstand it as a violent scene and call the police. ... The scene in the script was about the female lead Li Rong Rong, who had failed to assassinate Yang Guang and was sentenced to death. Before the execution, Yu Wen Chengdu, attracted by her beauty, came to the prison. With a mindset of not wasting a good opportunity, he lined up with his subordinates. Qin Lan leaned against a tree, pretending to be tied to the execution rack, trying to appear brave and fearless, though her eyes showed more of a playful attitude. Yan Li was more immersed in the role. He designed a move where he held a sword, and with every detail in place, he stood beside Qin Lan, his expression lewdly eyeing her up and down, his gaze filled with greed and lewdness. "The emperor is right," he said, while grabbing her chin and turning her face to him. "Such a beautiful woman, if we kill her, wouldn't it be a waste?" As he delivered the lines, Yan Li added a physical move, pinching her chin and turning her face toward him, even rubbing it a little. "Mm, quite smooth," he thought. Since it was a rehearsal, Yan Li didn't use too much force, but Qin Lan cooperated well, quickly turning her head whenever he moved. Yan Li: "..." It seemed like she was cooperating a little too much. At this point, the female lead should have been angry and struggling. But since Qin Lan was helping him, Yan Li didn’t want to ask for too much—just the general idea was enough. Although Qin Lan wasn't deeply immersed in the scene, she still didn’t forget her lines: "What do you want?" "What do I want?" Yan Li sneered, his eyes revealing unmasked aggression. "I, Yu Wen Chengdu, hate wasting things..." After a few lines, they started the actual scene. Yan Li, as Yu Wen Chengdu, naturally had to drink the first bowl of soup. Finally, they reached the main part, and Qin Lan gave her response, her face showing fear: "You... you're not human. Help, save me." "Shout louder, scream more desperately," Yan Li instructed, squeezing her neck and leaning in to inhale deeply near her nape, his face filled with evil and pleasure. "I, Yu Wen Chengdu, hate people who beg like that. Haha." According to Yan Li's plan, at this point, Qin Lan should have been furious, desperate, and terrified. Her face and body should have struggled as he got closer, and he would continue to close in, creating more tension and conflict. But while Qin Lan started off okay, she slowly began to falter in her movements. When Yan Li noticed something was off, he let go and looked up, only to find that her face was flushed, and her eyes were slightly teary. "..." Yan Li couldn't help but scratch his head: "Sister, I'm the bad guy oppressing the good, can you stop making it seem like flirting?" "Who’s flirting with you!" Qin Lan retorted, her anger rising as she tried to step on his foot. But no matter how angry she appeared, her face stayed flushed. Seeing this, Yan Li took the initiative: "How about we stop? This scene is a bit intense. I’ll find someone else to practice with." "No!" Qin Lan immediately protested, then realizing she had overreacted, she tried to amend: "I can't just eat your meal for free. I promised to help you, and I can't go back on my word." Yan Li hesitated: "Are you sure?" "No problem." Qin Lan made an OK gesture with her hand. "I wasn't prepared earlier. Give me a moment to get ready." Seeing that she was insistent, Yan Li waited for her to step aside, take a deep breath, and calm down for two minutes. Then she walked back to him and nodded. "I'm ready." "Then, can I start?" "Go ahead." After they restarted, Qin Lan’s performance did improve, and she got more into the role, which in turn motivated Yan Li to get more into his performance as well. Filming is like this—the cooperation of the actors is essential. They can inspire each other, but if one of them is like a lifeless wooden post, even the best actor can lose some of their power. "Shout louder, scream more desperately, I, Yu Wen Chengdu..." The more they performed, the more Yan Li got into it, leaning close to Qin Lan’s neck, and she, too, responded better, struggling with fear. But as Yan Li's strong hands gripped her chin, his rugged face drew nearer to her cheek and neck, so close that she could feel his breath on her skin. For some reason, Qin Lan’s body softened, her face burned, and her heart felt tingling...