After Filming A Lesbian Movie With The Straight Girl I Like - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: “Time for Dessert”

 

Xu Ling changed out of her sleep pants in the bathroom. When she came out, she saw Qin Cong’an with some delicious-smelling food, along with Yi Huai and Liang He.

 

Liang He had come to check on her condition. Seeing how pale she still looked, he said sympathetically, “Hurry and eat, you’ve worked so hard. Filming overnight while on your period must be exhausting.”

 

“It’s okay, it can’t be helped,” Xu Ling replied. She didn’t think it was a big deal—it wasn’t her first time dealing with this kind of situation. She was just relieved she didn’t faint on set and cause delays.

 

Yi Huai very sternly pulled her over to sit down, even handing her a pair of chopsticks.

 

Yi Huai wore a look that said, If you don’t finish this meal, I’m not leaving.

 

“Huai-jie…”

 

“It’s my fault. I didn’t manage your health properly. Thank goodness nothing serious happened,” Yi Huai said guiltily, then turned to Qin Cong’an. “Thanks to you.”

 

“No need to thank me,” Qin Cong’an replied calmly. “It was the right thing to do.”

 

Xu Ling had just taken a bite and nearly choked. The right thing to do? What was she talking about?

 

Yi Huai paused too but took it to mean: As coworkers, of course she should help—couldn’t just let Xu Ling faint on the floor.

 

But last night, when Yi Huai had come over and offered to switch rooms with Qin Cong’an to take care of Xu Ling, she’d been rejected. Qin Cong’an said she was already used to that room and didn’t want to adjust to a new one.

 

But… she’d never mentioned being the type to get attached to beds.

 

Yi Huai stayed to supervise Xu Ling finish an entire box of food. “Do you want more?”

 

“Uh… Can I?” Xu Ling was honestly still hungry—her appetite had only grown with each bite.

 

“Of course. You have to eat well.” Yi Huai went out to grab more food.

 

Liang He left too, leaving only Xu Ling and Qin Cong’an in the room.

 

Xu Ling nibbled on her chopsticks and looked at her. “Thanks,” she said softly.

 

Qin Cong’an shook her head, returned to the bed, and picked up her book again.

 

Xu Ling waited for the food, feeling awkward. She had a lot she wanted to say, but was afraid Yi Huai might come in suddenly, so she held back.

 

This time, Yi Huai returned not just with another meal, but also a cup of ginger jujube tea. She watched Xu Ling finish everything, made her drink the tea, and asked repeatedly if she still felt unwell.

 

Xu Ling took a painkiller and said, “I’m fine now, really. Thank you for taking care of me, Huai-jie.”

 

Yi Huai sighed and glanced at the time. “We have to get to set early today. You’ve got one more hour—go rest a bit.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Yi Huai hovered like a kindergarten teacher watching a kid lie down, making Xu Ling so embarrassed she didn’t dare even glance at Qin Cong’an, pretending she wasn’t there, terrified Yi Huai would suspect something.

 

Something did feel off to Yi Huai, though she couldn’t put her finger on it. Once Xu Ling had closed her eyes, pretending to sleep, she quietly slipped out.

 

The moment Xu Ling heard the door close, she opened her eyes and scooted toward Qin Cong’an.

 

“Huai-jie told you to rest. What do you think you’re doing?”

 

“Mmm… She also said I had to eat well,” Xu Ling replied, sniffing the fragrance from her body—it was so soothing.

 

Qin Cong’an pushed her away, got out of bed, locked the door, then climbed back in and opened her arms.

 

Xu Ling immediately snuggled into her embrace. Now that she was full, she had energy to spare and clung tightly around her waist.

 

“Did you sleep well last night?”

 

“It was alright. You didn’t fuss or cry—just had to monitor your temperature.”

 

“Oh…” Xu Ling sounded apologetic. “Thank you, really.”

 

“Xu Ling.”

 

“Mm?” Her voice softened—just hearing her call her full name like that made her spine tingle. Her body buzzed with anticipation, unsure if she was about to be scolded.

 

Qin Cong’an looked down at her, face serious. “Do you remember what you called me last night?”

 

“…” Xu Ling blanked out. Oh no. Did I call her Mommy? Or… baby? Wait—did I call her wifey!?

 

She forced herself to remain calm. “What did I call you?”

 

“You called me Qin Cong’an.”

 

Xu Ling let out a huge sigh of relief. “Scared me—I thought it was something worse.”

 

“What were you afraid of?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“‘Huh’ what?” Qin Cong’an frowned and pinched the back of her neck. “I’m four years older than you.”

 

Xu Ling buried her face in her chest. So? What’s with the sudden emphasis on age difference?

 

“You just call me by my name like that? Would you call Huai-jie by her first name?”

 

That’s not the same at all! She couldn’t exactly be like Lin Xinnuo and call her An-jie—it was way too formal and distant. She just couldn’t say it. Who would call someone ‘An-jie’ while… doing stuff with them?

 

Xu Ling lifted her head and looked at her. “Last time I called you ‘Jie’, you glared at me. I thought you didn’t like it.”

 

“I glared at you?”

 

“Yup. Denying it?” Xu Ling retaliated by tickling her side. “Qin Cong’an, how about I call you An’an?”

 

“No,” Qin Cong’an rejected immediately.

 

Tch. Xu Ling figured maybe someone else had called her that before—that’s why she wouldn’t let her use it. Well, she was going to do it anyway. “An’an~ An’an~ Do you remember what you agreed to earlier? I’ve already finished my meal. It’s time for dessert.”

 

“…” Qin Cong’an was speechless. Ever since they started sleeping together, she was getting more and more shameless.

 

“You should sleep,” she said.

 

“I’ve slept plenty. I can’t fall asleep now.”

 

“Tonight’s going to be exhausting—we’ll shoot till dawn.”

 

“I know.” Xu Ling had already leaned in, lips brushing her fragrant skin. She just wanted to kiss her, to take in that scent.

 

Her actions grew bolder—licking and nibbling.

 

Qin Cong’an didn’t stop her, just let her do whatever. She hadn’t even had time to apply body lotion last night, so her skin was a bit dry. But Xu Ling still seemed to love it, sniffing around like a puppy.

 

Fine then. Whatever she’s thinking, at least she really likes my body.

 

Suddenly, someone knocked.

 

Xu Ling froze mid-bite.

 

“Who is it?” Qin Cong’an asked.

 

“It’s me—just checking on Xu Ling,” came Chang Ning’s voice.

 

“She’s asleep.”

 

“Oh, okay then.”

 

Once the sound of footsteps faded, Xu Ling resumed eating.

 

“Keep it down, the walls aren’t soundproof.”

 

Xu Ling didn’t hear a thing, making an intentionally exaggerated slurping sound. Why does she smell so good? Better than freshly baked egg yolk puffs or custard buns—by a hundred times.

 

Just eating wasn’t enough—she had to praise her too: “So delicious… An’an, you taste so good…”

 

That finally annoyed Qin Cong’an. She pushed her away and completely blocked her. “Sleep. If you’re not sleeping, I am.”

 

Xu Ling pouted. But being scolded like that actually turned her on a little. She didn’t push it. She knew she probably hadn’t slept well last night.

 

She forced her way into her arms again and whispered softly, “Thank you.”

 

A knock woke them both. They got up, washed, and headed out.

 

When they arrived on set, it was, as expected, the final night of filming at this location.

 

This scene was about burying the man’s corpse.

 

Earlier, during their fight with him, both women were injured. Jian Yu got shot in the stomach, Wen Xi lost an arm—and more injuries on top of that, which meant a lot of time in makeup.

 

Especially Qin Cong’an—her arm had to be immobilized and undergo some special effects makeup. With the costume added in, it looked exactly like her arm was severed.

 

It was their longest prep so far. Xu Ling peeked over at her and thought, We really didn’t need to sleep earlier. We have plenty of time now. But after that nap, she wasn’t even tired anymore—just couldn’t fall asleep.

 

Qin Cong’an had one arm being worked on while holding the script in the other.

 

The makeup took ages, but in the movie, their characters only got basic treatment—disinfected and wrapped in gauze by a shady doctor that Jian Yu hated.

 

The script didn’t say how the two died, but Xu Ling suspected it was because of that unprofessional old quack.

 

Being an assassin really was a high-risk job. Even with those life-threatening injuries, they couldn’t go to the hospital—just had to trust some sketchy underground doctor. Their lives weren’t considered lives. Dead assassins were easily replaced.

 

Thankfully, Wen Xi met Jian Yu. Otherwise, she might have died alone, with no one beside her from the day she was born to her final breath. But with Jian Yu, she had someone by her side till the end—even if it meant bickering all the way.

 

When Xu Ling first read the script, she immediately loved the story but thought it was heartbreakingly sad. Still, this ending felt like the best possible one.

 

Once makeup was finally done, filming began.

 

A situation Jian Yu thought unlikely had actually occurred—Wen Xi couldn’t drive, so she had to take the wheel.

 

Fortunately, they didn’t run into any checkpoints and made it safely to the familiar burial site.

 

But how long could they stay lucky? They both knew time was running out.

 

Their expressions remained calm, only twitching with pain when their wounds flared—then quickly smoothing over again.

 

They dug the grave together. Jian Yu made a few lame jokes, but Wen Xi didn’t respond, and she gave up. The mood was drastically different from before—no playful banter, just quiet exhaustion.

 

It was physically and emotionally draining.

 

Out of concern for Xu Ling, tonight’s break times were double the usual.

 

To avoid delaying progress, Xu Ling was very focused. During breaks, she drank sugar water to prevent another fainting incident.

 

Because of their injuries, everything moved slowly. Their final action scene wrapped just as the sun rose.

 

Chang Ning had checked the weather forecast—the next few days weren’t great. To get the effect she wanted, she knew they’d need post-production magic.

 

She imagined a sunrise so breathtakingly beautiful it hinted at hope for the future.

 

She hadn’t expected that very kind of radiant, life-filled sunrise to appear for real. It lit up the whole world.

 

Chang Ning cherished the moment and filmed it quickly. Unfortunately, the camera still didn’t quite capture its full brilliance—they’d need to enhance it later.

 

“Okay! That’s a wrap for this location—great job, everyone!” Chang Ning applauded and nodded to the crew. “Let’s head to the next site!”

 

They weren’t done yet, but at least this sleep-depriving part of the shoot was over.

 

Everyone got on the bus. They could nap during the ride. After today’s daylight scenes, they’d finally return to the city.

 

Xu Ling passed out the moment she boarded, though the bumpy ride made it a restless sleep. Thankfully, her period, though intense, was mercifully short—it had ended. Otherwise, today might’ve wrecked her.

 

Their next stop was the final scene in the movie.

 

A peaceful, hidden haven—Jian Yu and Wen Xi’s sanctuary.

 

After disembarking, the crew had to hike a bit. As they walked, Xu Ling gradually saw the full view of the cabin in the woods. It looked exactly like the place she’d dreamed about the night before—unreal in its beauty, complete with a gently flowing stream.

 

Both women were clearly tired, so Chang Ning told them to rest a while as she went to organize the next setup.

 

Chang Ning was like a tireless machine—despite the same brutal schedule, she always seemed energetic.

 

Xu Ling reclined in a moon chair with a steam eye mask on. This would be the final scene of the entire film—the last night she could openly sleep beside Qin Cong’an.

 

Wait… they were going back to the city tonight!

 

Xu Ling sighed and mentally planned things out. She’d rest well tonight, reset her sleep schedule, and then visit Qin Cong’an’s room tomorrow night. She’d need a new excuse though. Unlike this past week, she couldn’t just crawl into her bed anymore.

 

What excuse could she use? Actually, she hadn’t used excuses lately—she’d just gone. Yeah, just some casual “film crew wives” kind of thing. Just a special relationship thing.

 

…She couldn’t sleep at all.

 

She had to resort to the meditation technique she used during her busiest days as a model—focusing on each finger, relaxing every part of her body in turn to regain energy.

 

Filming went smoothly. Chang Ning told them to recall the feeling from two days ago, but this time, to act more serene.

 

They came out of the cabin and climbed along the stream. Though unspoken, they silently competed to see who would reach the top first. Wen Xi got ahead, but when she turned around to help Jian Yu up, Jian Yu sneakily overtook her.

 

The camera stayed far away, capturing them from a distance as they climbed higher, nearing the source of the stream.

 

There were no cameras up close—just a safety officer watching from afar.

 

Xu Ling started to forget this was a film set. It really felt like she and Qin Cong’an were just out climbing together. But if this were a date, she’d never choose hiking—it was exhausting, and this wild mountain was so steep she had to crawl on all fours.

 

Qin Cong’an turned and reached out to her, gaze calm, yet with something intense simmering underneath.

 

Suddenly, Xu Ling felt like—no matter how ridiculous or messy she looked—Qin Cong’an would never find her unlovable.

 

What am I even thinking? Qin Cong’an’s acting right now.