After Rebirth, the Cold and Aloof Film Queen Always Wants to Cuddle with Me - Chapter 22
Chapter 22
“You got drunk last night and then…” Ye Ruihuan stood up with a faint smile, deliberately leaving the sentence hanging.
“I wasn’t drunk, was I?” Lin Ruijiao responded immediately, eyes filled with contemplation.
“You weren’t drunk? Then do you remember what happened afterward?” Ye Ruihuan retorted as she turned and walked into the bathroom.
Sleeping with this little bunny last night had truly been peaceful—no dreams, just a sweet, deep sleep.
Lin Ruijiao sat on the edge of the bed in a daze, trying hard to recall everything from the night before. But there was a clear blank in her memory after a certain point. She frowned—seemed like she’d need to be more careful around Ye Ruihuan in the future.
“You were crying while hugging me last night, snuggling into me nonstop,” Ye Ruihuan said as she walked over. “You kept saying how much you liked me, things like that.” She teased with a mischievous smile.
Lin Ruijiao’s face was full of shock. She couldn’t possibly have done that, could she? The current her definitely wouldn’t—but maybe in her past life… or before. Right now, she had no way to refute it.
She opened her mouth but finally just pressed her lips together.
“You even clung to me and wouldn’t let go, saying you wanted to sleep together.”
Lin Ruijiao’s eyes widened. For a moment, she didn’t even know what to say. Ye Ruihuan really was… shameless.
“So, how do you plan to pay for that?” Ye Ruihuan tilted her chin up.
Lin Ruijiao was forced to raise her head, but her eyes avoided contact. Without any memory, how could she argue? Everything was based on Ye Ruihuan’s word. Besides, she didn’t think she would do something like that.
Ye Ruihuan twirled a lock of her hair and gently kissed it, her gaze dark and unreadable.
Lin Ruijiao’s eyes dimmed. What was Ye Ruihuan doing? Was she using her as a substitute? Or did something really happen last night? A wave of unease swept through her.
“Ruihuan, what do you mean by ‘pay for it’? I don’t remember any of that happening,” she said with an innocent look.
“Oh? So you’re denying it?”
“If nothing happened, then there’s nothing to count.” Lin Ruijiao looked up, her eyes glistening slightly as she spoke softly, half-coquettish. All she wanted now was to get out of there.
Ye Ruihuan smirked, then suddenly leaned down and kissed her lips. “Then I’ll count this as returning the favor.”
Before Lin Ruijiao could even react, the kiss had already landed. She stared in shock at Ye Ruihuan, who walked away with a satisfied smile on her face, her retreating figure radiating a smug sense of victory.
Heh… Ye Ruihuan really hadn’t changed at all. Still treating others as substitutes, still toying with people’s feelings, still a player… Trash.
Moments later, Lin Ruijiao got up and rushed to the door, tossing out a quick, “Ruihuan, I’m leaving.”
To Ye Ruihuan, that fleeing back looked like someone shyly escaping. Her grin only deepened.
When Lin Ruijiao finally returned to her room, her assistant Jingjing looked torn and hesitant.
“What’s wrong? Come eat with me,” Lin Ruijiao called to her.
“Lin-jie, no need. You didn’t come back last night…”
“Mm, I got drunk—with Ye Ruihuan,” she said, clearly uninterested in discussing it further. “Don’t worry, nothing happened.”
Jingjing nodded thoughtfully. “Are you heading to set later?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, I’ll go get everything ready.”
“Thanks.” But Lin Ruijiao’s mind was still stuck on that sudden kiss from Ye Ruihuan. What on earth did she mean by it? Her behavior was way too strange—completely unreadable.
In her past life, Ye Ruihuan hadn’t cared for her at all. Could it be she liked people who were indifferent to her?
“Hmph.” Lin Ruijiao let out a cold snort.
Jingjing flinched beside her. Lin-jie seemed upset after coming back—did something happen between her and President Ye? What exactly was their relationship? She couldn’t help but let her imagination run wild.
As usual, Lin Ruijiao spent the day on set, chatting with the crew and learning from seasoned actors. Even the diva actress who normally disliked her didn’t cause trouble—after all, with so many veterans on set, no one dared act out.
A month passed in the blink of an eye, and finally it was time for Lin Ruijiao’s scenes—alongside Ye Ruihuan.
The drama Moonlight Whispers had also started airing. As Lin Ruijiao’s character appeared, her popularity soared. Overnight, she gained over forty or fifty thousand followers. But with fame came backlash. For some reason, rival fans were stirring up drama, making a fuss about her “sudden” casting in the series, turning the comment sections into a war zone.
However, the rising fame also brought attention to her role in Phoenix, and updates from that set began appearing online—though most of the posts were negative. People mocked her as a nobody from the bottom of the industry who somehow landed a role in Director Liu’s big production, implying she had powerful backers.
[Comments from netizens:]
“Why is Huari Entertainment pushing this random newbie? She doesn’t seem talented at all.”
“I heard upper management is divided over her (insider info).”
“Makes sense—she has no credentials, yet got the third lead in Moonlight Whispers and now a spot in Phoenix. Must have serious connections!”
“She even stole my fave’s position! Gross. Bet she’s latched onto some bigshot. Total homewrecker!”
There was a storm of criticism online, but Lin Ruijiao wasn’t fazed. There were still plenty of fans praising her acting. The audience wasn’t blind, after all.
Besides, she had bigger concerns—her Phoenix character was about to debut, and it was a crucial scene with Ye Ruihuan.
In today’s shoot, their characters faced off: one majestic and domineering, the other gentle with hidden daggers.
On set, the two barely spoke—like strangers. Ye Ruihuan even kept a cold face, which honestly worked in their favor. At least it would keep any gossip at bay.
Their dressing rooms were in different locations. Naturally, Ye Ruihuan’s was more luxurious—she was the one footing the bill, after all.
When Lin Ruijiao stepped out after finishing hair and makeup, she ran into Ye Ruihuan by chance. The latter was dressed in an exquisitely elaborate red robe, wearing a lavish headpiece fit for nobility. Her expression carried the arrogance and dominance of someone born to rule. The stunning makeup only enhanced her imposing aura, making her look both regal and powerful.
No doubt about it—Ye Ruihuan was perfect for this role.
Lin Ruijiao couldn’t help but glance at her a few more times. In this look, she had a certain charm—her portrayal was bound to be impressive.
Ye Ruihuan also took a long look at her. She finally began to agree with Director Liu—Lin Ruijiao was a real talent. The contrast between her last role and this one was huge, yet she embodied both with ease.
It was strange—Lin Ruijiao wasn’t particularly beautiful, yet she had something about her that just fit.
They stared at each other for a moment, and then Lin Ruijiao smiled softly. “Ruihuan.”
Ye Ruihuan didn’t respond, simply walking away.
When the two of them appeared together in the grand hall, everyone on set stared in awe, not even daring to breathe. They looked like beauties who had stepped out of ancient times, and against the traditional setting, it felt like the crew themselves were the ones who had traveled back in time. Truly mesmerizing.
It wasn’t until Director Liu shouted his cue that everyone snapped out of it and rushed back to work.
“Action!” Director Liu, now focused, showed no trace of a smile. Even a single strand of hair on his head looked serious.
Soon, Lin Ruijiao pulled her robe close and knelt with grace.
“Empress Dowager, this concubine misses Xuan Yi dearly. May I bring him back to Wanzhen Palace for a few days?” she asked, bowing deeply.
“What? You can’t spend time with him in my palace?” Ye Ruihuan’s character rose, her long sleeves flowing with a fierce gesture.
“No, I just…”
“Just what? Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been up to!” She raised her hand and struck Lin Ruijiao’s cheek with a loud smack, the sound echoing through the hall—proof of how hard the blow was.
Lin Ruijiao clutched her face and fell to the ground, not daring to lift her head.