After Filming A Lesbian Movie With The Straight Girl I Like - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Backless

 

Qin Cong’an finally went out for once.

 

She had dinner with Director Dong Li’s producer friend, Yan Manyi, to talk about the stage play Dark Room. When Yan Manyi heard that Qin wanted to play the role of Hicks, she was a little surprised.

 

As they exchanged ideas over dinner, Yan Manyi made it clear she was very satisfied with her and thought the role really suited her.

 

“But to be honest, you know a stage play only runs for two or three hours, the time is limited. At first, I wasn’t planning to include Hicks on stage,” Yan said.

 

Qin Cong’an was surprised but didn’t show it on her face. “But the British version has Hicks.”

 

“Yes, but every country’s audience sees things differently. I’m not sure whether a character like Hicks would be well-received here.” Yan smiled and gestured for her to relax. “But after chatting with you, I’m thinking of revising the script. We’re still in the development phase anyway.”

 

Qin nodded. “It should still be based on your vision. You have a lot more aspects to consider.”

 

“Then if I want you to play a different role later on, would you be open to it?”

 

“Sure, we can talk about it.”

 

After dinner, they exchanged contact info. When Qin Cong’an opened WeChat, there was a large blank space below—just a single chat box, the name marked only with a lemon emoji.

 

Dong Li, sitting beside her, caught a glimpse of the mostly empty screen, then saw her switch to another account and add Yan Manyi there.

 

After Yan left, Dong Li said, “Xiao Qin, are you feeling down? If something’s bothering you, talk to me.”

 

“It’s nothing.” Qin wasn’t sure how he could tell, but they’d known each other for ten years. He was also her acting coach and had seen her at her most emotionally vulnerable—he understood her well.

 

“Is it about that person?”

 

“No.”

 

“Something similar?”

 

“Also no.”

 

Dong Li nodded. “So, there is something after all.”

 

“……”

 

“As long as it’s not that kind of thing, then that’s good. If there’s a problem you can’t solve, you have to talk to someone. If not me, then talk to your sister Tan.”

 

“Okay. Thank you, Teacher Dong.”

 

Qin switched back to her quiet secondary account and took a car home.

 

What Dong Li called “that kind of thing” had happened during her sophomore year—her second year in the industry. A male investor had aggressively “pursued” her and even spread false rumors that he’d already slept with her, causing her huge trouble. In the end, Dong Li and his friend Tan Nanchun helped handle it.

 

That’s how Qin met Tan Nanchun, and later got to know her girlfriend, Jiang Ruzhi. They didn’t hang out often, but they stayed on good terms.

 

Tan Nanchun was powerful, ruthless, and extremely capable. To those she considered on her side, she was unconditionally loyal. If you ever ran into a problem, she was the one to go to—but this time, not even Tan could help.

 

Qin returned to her lonely apartment.

 

As usual, she opened Xu Ling’s IG. Still no new posts. She clicked on Meng Bo’s, then Li Yan’s, then the fourth person in their group photo. That one had just uploaded a Story earlier that afternoon—three of them were in a Pilates studio.

 

Xu Ling looked fine, better than the day Li Yan was around. She was wearing a white sports bra and light blue leggings, showing off her great proportions.

 

Since she wasn’t doing very well in class, her legs were shaking the whole time. She looked a little embarrassed but still happy—really cute.

 

Qin glanced at the drying rack where that same pair of blue leggings hung. She’d washed them and hung them up but never taken them down. Every time she walked through the living room, she could see them. They were almost the only splash of color in the apartment—very noticeable.

 

Sometimes seeing them made her feel good. Other times, it made irritation bubble up from the soles of her feet all the way to her head.

 

There was a new post.

 

Qin glanced at it: the three had gone to a hot spring resort.

 

She tossed her phone aside. She figured Xu Ling probably didn’t even remember her mentioning that there was a nice hot spring resort in Beicheng.

 

Back then, she didn’t say, “Let’s go together next time,” because she could tell Xu Ling wasn’t paying attention. But later, they did promise to “take a bath together someday.”

 

What a joke. Xu Ling could soak in a pool with other people—but not with her.

 

…

 

After Naoko dragged her out to exercise, Xu Ling got pulled into hot springs and saunas. She’d never soaked in a hot spring during summer before—it was surprisingly comfortable.

 

The muscle soreness from working out felt like it was melting away, every pore opening up. Then applying a cold towel—pure bliss.

 

Except…

 

“Spacing out again?” Meng Bo asked after they got back to the room. She was sipping strawberry milk.

 

“What?” Xu Ling wrinkled her nose. “No I wasn’t.”

 

“Don’t make it so obvious,” Meng Bo rolled her eyes, then added dramatically, “We’re growing apart. Keeping secrets now.”

 

Xu Ling thought, Sorry. I’ve been keeping this secret for a while now—and it’s getting harder and harder to talk about.

 

Naoko said, “But I think Ling’s mood has really improved. Exercise and hot springs really are the best.”

 

“Yeah, thank you for bringing me,” Xu Ling smiled. She really did feel better.

 

But… why was she thinking about Qin Cong’an no matter what she did? Qin once mentioned a resort in Beicheng with hot springs too, but now, there was no chance they’d ever go together.

 

Meng Bo finished her milk, flopped down on the tatami mat, scrolled through her phone for a while, then suddenly sat up. “Xu Ling, Yanzi says she’s leaving tomorrow.”

 

“Oh.” Xu Ling had wondered why Li Yan had moved out and never contacted her again, though she still kept in touch with Meng Bo.

 

But she’d figured it out. Li Yan must’ve gotten busier, or maybe she and Meng Bo had grown closer without her knowing. So now, anything shared with Meng Bo would naturally get back to her too.

 

“You’re so indifferent,” Meng Bo shook her head. “Poor Yanzi.”

 

Naoko suddenly asked, “You’re not seeing anyone right now, are you? Want to give it a shot with Yan? She said she’s given up, but maybe not entirely—otherwise she wouldn’t have brought it up.”

 

Xu Ling: “…?”

 

Meng Bo’s eyes lit up. “Right! You couldn’t stop raving about her desserts. Maybe that’s your subconscious telling you you like her, but you’re just too dense to realize it. I seriously think you should try.”

 

“Can you stop acting like I’m an idiot?” Xu Ling groaned and flopped onto her back, staring at the wooden ceiling.

 

Maybe she was a bit slow—but not so slow she couldn’t tell when she liked someone.

 

She knew practically the second it hit her—she liked Qin Cong’an.

 

That wave of emotion had been so overwhelming, there was no ignoring it even if she tried.

 

As for Li Yan—she was just a good senior, a good roommate. Even after hearing what Li Yan said, her thoughts hadn’t changed. Though she did feel a little embarrassed and guilty for not realizing it earlier.

 

Liking Li Yan’s desserts? That was pure food love!

 

After talking about that day, Xu Ling had also started wondering about Qin Cong’an and Xie Jing.

 

Could it be… she misunderstood something?

 

Maybe Xie Jing, like Li Yan’s guy friend, was also gay—and Qin was just covering for him?

 

If that were true, then Qin should be getting something out of it too. But she didn’t seem to have gained anything. They never even worked together, never went public.

 

Still, industry people knew. Rumor had it they’d both admitted it themselves. That night at the hot pot place, she overheard Director Liang talking to Qin about “her boyfriend,” and Qin hadn’t denied it—

 

And that cat, Mo Yun, the one in Qin’s WeChat profile picture—that was Xie Jing’s cat. Qin had said, “It’s not really my cat,” which clearly meant it was half hers and half his. Who talks like that unless they’re dating?

 

And that book, Dark Room—was practically screaming hints at her! Did they really think she was stupid?

 

“You are stupid!” Meng Bo snapped. “Then tell me, who have you liked all these years?”

 

Xu Ling muttered, “Haven’t met them yet.”

 

“If you haven’t, then just try it with Yan!” Naoko said. “I think you two would really work. Yan would take such good care of you.”

 

They went on and on about it, and for a moment, the idea did wedge itself into Xu Ling’s mind.

 

Maybe she should give it a try? Isn’t the best way to forget someone… to start something new?

 

Not even one second later, Xu Ling raised her hand and made a big “X.”

 

No. That would be unfair to Li Yan.

 

Besides, Xu Ling knew—even if she tried with ten thousand Li Yans, she would never forget Qin Cong’an. She liked her. Period.

 

That night, Xu Ling got a call from Yi Huai.

 

“You can come back now. Work’s starting up again. And guess what—we’re going to Starry Night! Second row seats!!” Yi Huai was practically bouncing with excitement. “Come back and prep properly. Let’s try to go viral looking gorgeous.”

 

Xu Ling’s nose was stuffy. “Okay.”

 

Yi Huai picked up on her low mood. “Xu Ling, do you even want this anymore?”

 

“…Sorry, just not feeling well. I’ll do my best.” Xu Ling had already achieved her goal entering this industry—well, sort of. So yeah, her motivation had dropped. But she still had a contract to honor and would follow the company’s arrangements.

 

“Do you know how you got this opportunity? You did well in Her Knife. The directors, producers, investors all liked you. They recommended you.” Of course, Yi Huai had also worked hard negotiating—but no need to mention that now. “Your efforts were noticed. It’ll only get better. Don’t suddenly start slacking, okay?”

 

“Yeah, I know.”

 

“But you really do need to take care of your health. Quan-jie recommended a nutritionist. When you’re back, we’ll go see her.”

 

“Quan-jie?”

 

“Gao Quan—Qin Cong’an’s agent. Don’t tell me you don’t remember? Whatever, I’ll remind you next time we see her. I gotta run.”

 

Xu Ling didn’t get a chance to ask more. Of course she remembered who Quan-jie was—she just wanted to know why she’d recommended someone to Yi Huai. Probably because Yi Huai saw how fit and healthy Qin was and asked her for a referral.

 

Xu Ling sniffled and hugged her blanket tightly—but no matter how tight she hugged, it wasn’t the same. It didn’t smell like Qin. It didn’t have her warmth. It didn’t come with her sometimes cool, sometimes clingy voice.

 

She got up and pulled out the shirt of Qin’s from her suitcase. Hugged it to sleep.

 

Good thing she didn’t return it. Didn’t throw it away either. Otherwise, how could she sleep?

 

She wondered if the shirt Qin had left behind on purpose—had already been thrown away.

 

…

 

Xu Ling was taking the same flight time as Li Yan, so she accompanied her to the airport.

 

Li Yan had a favor to ask: “Actually, this ring isn’t completely meaningless. My boss is into me, so I told him I had a girlfriend. Used this to shut him down. But he still doesn’t believe me.”

 

She handed over the matching ring. “You don’t need to do anything. Just wear it. After I’m gone, toss it if you want.”

 

Xu Ling agreed and put it on.

 

She didn’t need to act, but just standing next to Li Yan, she put on a bit of momentum and acting skill—eye contact, facial expression—all perfect except for physical contact.

 

Li Yan’s boss looked at their faces and matching rings, and immediately understood.

 

After Li Yan and her boss boarded, Xu Ling sat in the departure lounge. Her earlier confidence was gone—back to low spirits.

 

She looked at the ring on her finger. She couldn’t bring herself to toss it—might as well keep it and return it next time.

 

A ring… If she could ever date Qin Cong’an…

 

Ugh, thinking about this nonsense again. What’s wrong with her? Xu Ling smacked herself on the head and stopped.

 

…

 

After landing in Beicheng, Xu Ling went home first. She didn’t own or rent her own place here—just lived with her parents in a small villa.

 

After settling in and resting a bit, she went to the company, where Yi Huai took her to meet the nutritionist Quan-jie had recommended.

 

The nutritionist made a personalized diet plan based on her body metrics.

 

One month later would be the Starry Night gala.

 

A brand she’d worked with before lent her a new dress. Everyone was satisfied.

 

The style suited her elegant, luxurious vibe. It fit perfectly, no alterations needed. After seeing her try it on, the brand rep even offered matching jewelry.

 

Xu Ling gradually found her rhythm again through each job. For this event, she felt confident.

 

Looking gorgeous on the red carpet was her specialty. She loved this brand’s designs, and they clearly saw potential in her.

 

Yi Huai said a personal endorsement deal wasn’t realistic yet, but if they kept working together, who knows? Maybe one day it would happen.

 

Xu Ling was finally feeling ambitious again: land an endorsement deal.

 

And thank God, Qin Cong’an usually only attended events related to her projects, endorsements, or major TV network galas—not something like this, which was organized by a social media platform.

 

If Qin showed up, could Xu Ling even keep her face straight? She might trip on the red carpet and embarrass herself in front of the brand reps.

 

Just to be sure, Xu Ling checked the official announcements multiple times. She saw her own name and photo—but not Qin’s.

 

If Qin was invited, they would’ve promoted it already. Looked like she was safe.

 

But then she saw Xie Jing’s name on the guest list… Whatever. Just ignore him. It’s not like he knows her.

 

During the full-dress rehearsal a week before the event, Xu Ling ran into lots of celebrities—including Xie Jing.

 

He greeted her as he passed by: “Hello.”

 

Xu Ling instantly tensed up, stiffly replying, “Hello, senior.” He smiled and walked away.

 

She had been way too naive. Of course Xie Jing knew who she was. He cared about Qin Cong’an. He must’ve looked into the other female lead in her movie. Qin probably even mentioned her name.

 

This was a disaster.

 

Good thing they crossed paths during rehearsal—if that had happened on the day of, and she froze like that on camera, who knows what kind of theories the netizens would spin up?

 

…

 

On the event day, Xu Ling was in great shape—glowing from head to toe. Dressed, bejeweled, and fully made up, she got into the car heading to the venue.

 

This was the biggest event she’d ever attended as an actress.

 

Yi Huai kept chattering beside her: “You cannot mess up. You must perform well…”

 

Then she worried that her own nervousness might affect Xu Ling and zipped it—only to start gushing about how gorgeous she looked tonight.

 

“With this look, I swear, 800 cameras are gonna focus on you. The internet’s gonna be buzzing.”

 

“Huai-jie, relax a little,” Xu Ling reassured her.

 

She really wasn’t nervous. She’d walked on even bigger stages. This event, while important, was nothing as long as she didn’t run into that person.

 

Yi Huai took a deep breath. Seeing Xu Ling like this made her believe she truly had the makings of a star. One month of nutrition adjustments had clearly paid off. She’d filled out just right—healthy, glowing, not bloated.

 

That fiery orange-red gown really flattered her. She looked so elegant, she could pass for an international supermodel.

 

The car pulled up. The door opened.

 

Yi Huai gave her a “good luck” gesture as Xu Ling stepped out—and got straight to work herself, coordinating with everyone and watching the livestream, checking the live comments.

 

Some people recognized Xu Ling, but most didn’t. Still, the overwhelming reaction was:

 

—“Wow, what a face. What a body. Does someone like this really exist in real life?!”

 

Yi Huai breathed a sigh of relief. And Xu Ling nailed her red carpet performance—graceful, charming, confident. A pro through and through.

 

Xu Ling was in her element. She posed for photos like the seasoned model she was. Everything went smoothly. With what felt like 800 cameras on her, she handled them all perfectly.

 

Guided into the venue by staff, she looked for her name on the seats. During rehearsal, seats hadn’t been assigned yet—too many last-minute changes. Rivalries, PR concerns, reputations—it was a complex process.

 

Finally, she spotted her name on the back of a second-row chair. For someone of her current status, second row was quite an honor.

 

Even more surprising—it was near the center.

 

Xu Ling walked over—then froze.

 

Wait. That name in front of her…

 

No way. Could it really say “Qin Cong’an”? Her eyes weren’t deceiving her, were they?

 

The closer she got, the clearer those three characters became. Yet they also seemed blurrier, her vision tightening with tension. She sat down, unable to stop glancing forward.

 

Qin Cong’an really came.

 

Xu Ling saw her. She was wearing a simple black gown—elegantly cut, high-end, but kind of unremarkable at first glance.

 

At first—until Qin walked right past her and sat down in the seat ahead.

 

Oh.

 

Backless.

 

Xu Ling swallowed hard, completely involuntarily.