After Rebirth, the Cold and Aloof Film Queen Always Wants to Cuddle with Me - Chapter 12
Chapter 12
“Alright, let’s not waste time. Show me a scene,” Ye Ruihuan immediately sat on the sofa, arms crossed, watching her seriously.
“Okay, how about the scene from Half Moon, where the third female lead confesses to the second male lead she’s secretly loved for years. Is that alright?” Lin Ruijiao stood in front of her with a slight smile. Now she could only keep pretending.
Ye Ruihuan nodded.
Immediately, Lin Ruijiao began. She covered her arm with one hand in a shy, hesitant posture, occasionally peeking up at the person in front of her. “…I like you. I’ve liked you for a long time. Please accept my feelings.”
When she finished the scene, Lin Ruijiao stood still, staring straight at her, waiting for Ye Ruihuan’s reaction.
“You like me that much? Even your acting has to be a confession to me?” Ye Ruihuan teased.
Hearing this, Lin Ruijiao couldn’t help but pout slightly, though she still tried to maintain a polite smile.
Ye Ruihuan noticed and found it rather amusing. That little bunny-like girl—her big round eyes even looked adorable when she glared.
“Seems like you haven’t improved much during this time.” Ye Ruihuan picked up the teapot from the coffee table and poured herself a cup.
“Haven’t I?” Lin Ruijiao asked instinctively. She hadn’t held back that much this time.
“Your performance was average. Not enough strength. You didn’t use your body to express emotion. The shyness and nervousness weren’t fully conveyed, and your eyes lacked feeling.” Ye Ruihuan took a sip of tea. Still fragrant, but she was getting a bit tired of it.
“But it’s okay. I’ll teach you. It’s nothing we can’t fix,” Ye Ruihuan said with a confident smile.
“Mhm.” Lin Ruijiao nodded, but her lowered eyes carried a trace of sarcasm and doubt. Let’s see how well you can teach.
“Alright, come here.” Ye Ruihuan beckoned her over like calling a little pet.
Lin Ruijiao obediently came over and sat beside her, not too close, keeping just the right distance.
“Turn on the TV. Let’s watch a movie,” Ye Ruihuan instructed, her hands not pausing as she poured Lin Ruijiao a cup of tea too.
Her fair, slender fingers brushing against the vintage brick-red teacup made her hand look even more delicate and translucent—beautiful.
Lin Ruijiao happened to catch this scene while silently grumbling inside. She glanced at her own hand. Sure enough, Ye Ruihuan was fairer, and her skin was better.
Wait—wasn’t she supposed to be teaching acting? Why are they watching a movie now?
Even with all the questions bubbling in her head, Lin Ruijiao still turned on the TV and navigated to the movie section, pretending to be obedient as she waited for Ye Ruihuan’s next instruction.
“Let’s watch this one—Descending the Mountain,” Ye Ruihuan nodded toward the screen, where the faces of Dong Yulan and herself appeared.
Lin Ruijiao licked her lips. Ye Ruihuan really… even when watching a movie, she chooses one of her own.
“Have you seen this film before?” Ye Ruihuan asked casually, still looking at the screen.
“Yes. Descending the Mountain is so famous—a must-watch high-rated film, starring A-list actress Dong Yulan and yourself. Dong Yulan even won several major domestic and international awards for this one, including the highest honor in the national film industry—the Sanhua Award.” Lin Ruijiao explained, a trace of helplessness and exasperation in her eyes.
But Dong Yulan was indeed a legendary figure. At the peak of her career, she was framed and blacklisted, lost both her parents, yet still delivered such a perfect performance. And during her award-winning fame boom, she publicly announced her relationship with her girlfriend—an iconic moment still talked about online.
Lin Ruijiao couldn’t help but feel admiration and envy. It’s no surprise Ye Ruihuan had a thing for someone like her.
“I guess so, since your idol is in it.” Ye Ruihuan teased again.
Lin Ruijiao: …Yes, yes, whatever you say. She rolled her eyes inwardly.
“Watch carefully, learn something.” Ye Ruihuan’s gaze remained glued to Dong Yulan’s face on screen. This film was made years ago. In the six years since, they’d both won all the major industry awards, but rarely worked together again and barely kept in touch.
Ye Ruihuan felt a twinge of sadness. Even as friends, their relationship had always been distant. Then again, Yulan had Xia Dongyang now—and a child too. Naturally, her social life had shrunk. Ye Ruihuan could only comfort herself with that thought.
Her gaze toward the screen was full of nostalgia—along with an obsessive, unspoken love. After all these years, she still hadn’t let go.
Meanwhile, Lin Ruijiao was completely immersed in watching the movie, unaware of the emotional turmoil and lingering affection beside her.
After some time, Ye Ruihuan suddenly turned to her and asked, “What do you think?”
“Huh? What do I think about what?” Lin Ruijiao looked up, eyes red and nose runny. Even though she’d seen the film countless times, she still got pulled in by the story. Right now was the emotional climax—the saddest part. Ahh… Dong Yulan’s acting is so good! But also so heartbreaking…
“Weren’t you here to learn acting?” Ye Ruihuan pouted slightly. She really was engrossed.
“Yes, of course.” Lin Ruijiao looked at her innocently, eyes glistening like a little deer in the forest.
Ye Ruihuan didn’t know what to say for a moment—she’d cried so hard, completely synchronized with the character on screen.
“So… what did you learn?” Ye Ruihuan turned back toward the screen, which now featured her own scene.
“Dong Yulan’s acting is incredible…” Lin Ruijiao said between sniffles, tears streaming down her cheeks. It was like all the emotions built up over the past days had burst out all at once. She couldn’t help glancing back at the screen.
“Ye… Ruihuan, what was it like on set back then?” Lin Ruijiao asked, her tear-filled eyes full of curiosity and innocent charm.
The question pulled Ye Ruihuan back to those memories. After a moment’s thought, she said softly, “It was tough. She had a really hard time. There were haters and reporters crowding outside the hotel and set every day. But she was strong.”
“Huh?” Lin Ruijiao was surprised. That was even more intense than what she’d known. Just imagining it made her shudder. But what surprised her more was Ye Ruihuan’s tone.
The two fell into silence and watched the rest of the film without speaking.
“That’s all for today. You should study this film carefully—Yulan’s acting is worth analyzing.” Ye Ruihuan pulled out her phone and began texting her assistant.
“Okay. Thank you, Ruihuan.” Lin Ruijiao’s eyes were still red, her voice tinged with a crying tone.
Before long, Assistant Li appeared in the living room, looking at the two with a bit of confusion.
“Miss Ye, is everything alright?” she asked as she stepped forward.
“It’s nothing. We were just watching a movie. Let’s go.” Ye Ruihuan stood, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
“Ruihuan, take care.” Lin Ruijiao wiped her tears, her glistening eyes now devoid of emotion.
“Mhm.” Ye Ruihuan nodded absentmindedly. The memories stirred by the film had left her feeling melancholic. There was a strange sadness—something had shifted, but she didn’t quite know what.
After Ye Ruihuan left, Lin Ruijiao didn’t see her again for several days. No messages, no contact. It was strange. But for her, this was fine—she could finally focus on practicing acting and enjoy her time. It felt good to be free.
“Ruijiao, any updates on work? Has President Ye said anything about upcoming projects?” Manager Wang asked, growing anxious. There’d been zero word from Ye Ruihuan—not even her assistant would say anything.
“Nothing yet. Don’t worry, Wang-jie,” Lin Ruijiao replied, also a bit puzzled. This wasn’t like her. She needed to make a move. “I’ll use this time to work on my acting,” she added reassuringly.
Manager Wang opened her mouth but said nothing. Lin Ruijiao didn’t even have a personal assistant yet, and although Wang-jie was technically her manager, she’d barely had anything to manage. If things kept going like this, they might be dropped entirely.
Meanwhile, Ye Ruihuan had been busy preparing for an upcoming gala—designer gowns from luxury brands were arriving nonstop, piling up at her place. None of them quite suited her yet. But she had to make a grand entrance. After all, she would finally get to see Yulan again. She had to be perfect.
Even the dreams that still haunted her at night were pushed aside by her excitement for the gala. At this point, she couldn’t be bothered with Lin Ruijiao.
It had been five days without a word from Ye Ruihuan. Lin Ruijiao was starting to feel uneasy. Could she be shelving me? Surely not… But with Ye Ruihuan’s unpredictable temperament, anything was possible. And I’m just a stand-in for her white moonlight, she thought. And this stand-in isn’t even clinging to her…
With no job prospects or schedules lined up, Lin Ruijiao sighed. After an internal struggle, she finally opened their chat and sent her a message:
Ruihuan, when’s our next acting lesson? 🥺
But half an hour passed… then one hour… then two… and still no reply.
That wouldn’t do. She couldn’t pin her career on someone as moody as Ye Ruihuan. Too risky.
Thinking it over, Lin Ruijiao decided to take the initiative. She called Assistant Li.
At that moment, Assistant Li was with Ye Ruihuan, helping her select a dress for the gala. Designer outfits were everywhere, nearly crowding the room.
Just as Ye Ruihuan asked for her opinion on a dress, Assistant Li’s phone rang.
Ye Ruihuan glanced over. “Answer it.”
“Okay, thank you, Miss Ye.” Assistant Li quickly stepped aside to take the call.
“Hello?” she answered nervously, under Ruihuan’s sharp gaze.
“Hi, Assistant Li. I wanted to ask—do I have any upcoming work scheduled?” Lin Ruijiao asked directly.
Hearing the familiar voice, Assistant Li let out a breath of relief. “Miss Lin, you’ll have to ask Miss Ye about that.”
“She hasn’t replied to my message,” Lin Ruijiao said after a pause. “Do you know anything?”
“Is that Lin Ruijiao?” Ye Ruihuan suddenly asked aloud.