After Rebirth, the Cold and Aloof Film Queen Always Wants to Cuddle with Me - Chapter 19
Chapter 19
“……No…” Ye Ruihuan instantly snapped out of it. What on earth was she thinking about at a time like this?! Nonsense, just complete nonsense.
Speaking of which, had Lin Ruijiao gotten prettier lately? Ye Ruihuan suddenly found her a bit captivating. She couldn’t help but glance at her a few more times. Sure enough, she had lost weight, looked better, and carried a more refined aura.
She couldn’t help but furrow her brow. There was always a faint sense of losing control when it came to Lin Ruijiao—an ominous feeling that seemed to influence her mood, her decisions, and even her thoughts.
Lin Ruijiao still wore a pleasant smile, though there was a hint of speechlessness in her eyes. Ye Ruihuan’s gaze felt like needles pricking at her, making it hard to stay calm.
Who knew how long the other had been looking at her like that—strangely, as if searching for traces of Dong Yulan in her, or like she was trying to see right through her. It was unsettling.
“It’s fine. For now, let’s just wait quietly for news from the production team,” Ye Ruihuan said at last, attempting to reassure her.
“Mm-hmm, thank you, Ruihuan.” Lin Ruijiao beamed and nodded.
Before long, they arrived at Yu Wan Villa, where Lin Ruijiao got off alone.
She really needed to hurry up and get an assistant. If she kept spending this much time with Ye Ruihuan, she feared she might lose control.
Within just a few days, Ye Zhi’s secretary sent her a list of candidates to choose from, each with an introductory video attached. Lin Ruijiao watched them carefully and ultimately chose a junior from her university. The girl looked smart and capable.
She stated outright that her goal was to become a top-tier agent. Clear and ambitious—Lin Ruijiao appreciated someone who was similar to her. She imagined working with her would be easy and efficient.
“Hello, I’m Jing Jing.” A girl stood at the door, pulling a suitcase and greeting her politely.
Receiving the message, Lin Ruijiao came downstairs at once. “Hi, Jing Jing, I’m Lin Ruijiao. I look forward to working with you!”
“It’s a pleasure, Miss Lin.” Jing Jing adjusted her glasses and smiled in return.
“Aunt Liu, please help Jing Jing get familiar with the house.”
Lin Ruijiao then returned to her room and followed her scheduled plan to do some cardio. When she came back out, her assistant Jing Jing was already seated in the living room, tablet in hand, ready for action.
“Miss Lin, aside from the schedule from Miss Wang, is there anything else coming up?” she asked seriously.
“…No…” Looking at the completely empty schedule, Lin Ruijiao actually felt a bit guilty having such a serious assistant with nothing to do.
“Oh, okay.”
“At the moment, I’m just a small-time actress with not much work. Take a few days to rest. After that, you’ll probably come with me to set.”
“Alright.”
“Oh, by the way, sometimes Ye Ruihuan comes here.”
“President Ye? I’ve heard of her. I’ll prepare in advance.”
“No need to be so nervous. Just treat her normally.”
“Understood.”
Speak of the devil—just as it got dark, Ye Ruihuan arrived.
She entered, but didn’t see Lin Ruijiao right away. Instead, she spotted someone unfamiliar. Her gaze immediately turned to Assistant Li.
“President Ye, hello. I’m Lin Ruijiao’s assistant, Jing Jing.” Jing Jing quickly stood up and greeted her.
“Mm. Where’s Lin Ruijiao?”
“She’s upstairs.”
“Okay.” With that, Ye Ruihuan headed straight upstairs.
All this time, she had never come up here. She had never even seen the little bunny’s room.
Assistant Li and Jing Jing exchanged glances.
Standing at the door, Ye Ruihuan suddenly felt a pang of regret. What did the state of her room have to do with her? She wasn’t interested. Not at all.
But she was already here. She couldn’t just turn around and leave, could she? After a moment’s hesitation, she knocked.
“Who is it?” Lin Ruijiao, who was in the shower, hadn’t expected anyone at this time. It was probably Jing Jing or Aunt Liu. She didn’t hear clearly what was said outside.
“Come in,” she replied casually, not thinking much of it. After finishing up and putting on her sleepwear, she stepped out.
As Ye Ruihuan glanced around the room, her eyes met Lin Ruijiao’s as she towel-dried her hair. For a long moment, both of them stood frozen in place.
Finally, Lin Ruijiao reacted. “Ruihuan,” she called softly.
Ye Ruihuan’s mind had drifted somewhere far away, her eyes fixed on her without blinking. The images from her dreams overlapped with reality, forming a haunting mirage.
Lin Ruijiao’s fair face was flushed, her peach-colored lips slightly parted, her crescent-shaped eyes glimmering with spring-like warmth. She wore a thin camisole nightdress, her skin pale and glowing. Water dripped from her hair, tracing along her neck, over her collarbones, and finally disappearing beneath the sheer fabric over her chest.
Ye Ruihuan unconsciously licked the corner of her lips, her throat bobbing slightly.
Seeing her dazed expression, Lin Ruijiao blinked her round eyes and asked in confusion, “Ruihuan?”
“Mm, go ahead and finish up,” Ye Ruihuan finally snapped out of it. She glanced around the room and sat down on the small sofa, her face turned away, now tinged pink. Even her ears were bright red.
The smile on Lin Ruijiao’s face gradually faded. Her lips pressed into a straight line, and something unreadable flickered in her eyes. What exactly was Ye Ruihuan doing here?
She stood there for a moment, then turned around and slowly went back into the bathroom. She dried her hair and applied an elaborate skincare routine—hoping that by the time she came out, Ye Ruihuan would be gone.
But when she reappeared in her robe, Ye Ruihuan was still there. Lin Ruijiao lowered her eyes to hide her emotions, softened her expression, and wore that familiar, practiced smile.
“Ruihuan.” She walked over and sat beside her. “Why’d you come upstairs?” she asked sweetly.
“They said you were up here.” Ye Ruihuan’s delicate face was flushed like she was tipsy.
Lin Ruijiao subtly sniffed—no alcohol. She wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, but Ye Ruihuan’s tone seemed softer, less firm and forceful than usual.
Lin Ruijiao maintained her smile, but the other woman didn’t say anything else.
Ye Ruihuan couldn’t help but sneak another glance at her. The girl’s lovely curves were now thoroughly hidden under the robe, and a flicker of disappointment crossed her face.
“The script for Phoenix arrived. I was nearby and brought it over,” Ye Ruihuan finally said.
“I got the part? Thank you, Ruihuan!” Lin Ruijiao’s smile brightened, her face glowing like a peach blossom. Her crescent-moon eyes sparkled—stunningly beautiful.
Ye Ruihuan swallowed. “Mm. I’m leaving now.” She licked her lips again. Something about this place made her feel parched and flustered.
“Okay.” Lin Ruijiao obediently followed her downstairs.
Ye Ruihuan walked so fast she was out the door in no time, like she was running away. Assistant Li quickly followed after her.
“Miss Lin, here’s the script. Congratulations on landing the role,” Jing Jing handed it to her.
“Thanks. Next time Ye Ruihuan comes, let me know in advance.” Lin Ruijiao’s voice was cold, her smile gone.
Jing Jing was startled but quickly responded, “Of course.”
Soon enough, it was the start of filming. Actors of all kinds gathered—seasoned veterans and newcomers alike. To her surprise, Ye Ruihuan was also present.
This puzzled Lin Ruijiao. From what she remembered of Ye Ruihuan in her previous life, she normally wouldn’t show up to this kind of event—especially since she didn’t even have any scenes to film yet.
She didn’t want to run into Ye Ruihuan again at the villa, yet here they were meeting on set. Had she really changed that much? A person’s personality couldn’t just change overnight, could it? Perhaps because Phoenix was such a big production, she had no choice but to attend. Lin Ruijiao tried to brush aside her unease and confusion with that reasoning.
The set was chaotic with so many people. Ye Ruihuan was with the director, someone Lin Ruijiao knew she had no standing to approach, so she quietly found a corner to sit in with a small stool.
“Ruijiao?” A round-faced girl, Liu Qingqing, shouted her name and ran over with a big grin—like a breath of spring.
“Qingqing.” She waved at her.
“I knew you’d be here! We can look out for each other.”
“Mm-hmm. You’re here early too?”
“Yeah, just trying to learn as much as I can. It’s a big role.”
“Me too.”
The first day of shooting was inevitably a bit chaotic, with staff scrambling to set everything up. But the director sat calmly inside the soundstage, overseeing it all.
Ye Ruihuan sat beside him, her gaze scanning the scene. Eventually, her eyes locked onto a small corner, filled with icy sharpness.
That little bunny was all smiles and chatter with others, but in front of her, she was like a mute—completely fake.
Lin Ruijiao’s eyes wandered until they met Ye Ruihuan’s, and she jumped in surprise.