After Rebirth, the Cold and Aloof Film Queen Always Wants to Cuddle with Me - Chapter 44
Chapter 44
Sitting side by side, they joined the group chat, but suddenly everyone grew reserved. What had been a warm, romantic atmosphere turned tense in an instant.
Before long, people found excuses to leave. Chen Xuanxuan whispered to Lin Ruijiao: “Sorry, Ruijiao-jie, I can’t help you.” Then she left with her male partner to complete a task. Ruijiao gave a light smile and waved.
Now only the two of them remained in the room. Though in the same space, it felt as if they were in different worlds—neither speaking nor easing the tension.
Viewers in the live chat stared, wide-eyed at every move. Despite the anxiety, nothing happened; they both fiddled with their phones and stayed silent.
Fans in the stream calmed down, secretly complimenting their idols and arguing over trivial past issues. Casual viewers, bored, switched streams—leaving only the back-and-forth of their respective fandoms.
After a while, Ruijiao saw the trending topics on Weibo and froze in disbelief: “How did this even trend?” She glared at the instigator, who lounged calmly in a relaxed posture, scrolling her phone as if on holiday.
Ruijiao sighed: “I’m going up for a nap.”
Ye Ruihuan rose too, and they went upstairs.
“Huh? What’s Ye Jie doing? Always trailing after Ruijiao?”
“Stop twisting it—she just wants a rest!”
“They share the same room, of course they walk together!”
“Fans will spin any excuse—unbelievable.”
Anyway, the cameras and mics were off, and the livestream shifted focus to others.
In the darkened room, Ruijiao pulled the curtains closed and faced Ye with folded arms, expression stern.
Ye asked gently, “What’s wrong, Jiao-jiao?”
Ruijiao snapped, “What do you think? What are you doing? Have you seen the trending topics?”
Ye blinked innocently, “What trending?”
Ruijiao frowned deeper: “Weibo trending—you do know this show’s semi-live, right?” Her voice sharpened.
“I do. So what?” Ye looked puzzled.
Ruijiao pressed harder: “That bathroom scene just trended—stay away from me, don’t do weird stuff again.”
Ye whispered, “…Okay.” A forced half-smile formed.
Ruijiao inhaled deeply, controlling her temper. “How many episodes did you sign?”
“Two.”
“Then why are you here? It’s not your scene.” Ruijiao asked in exasperation.
Ye replied softly, “But you’re here too. I haven’t been seen in a while—need to remind people I’m still around.”
Ruijiao rolled over on her bed, tone icy: “Fine. Just don’t mess with me.”
Ye sighed and sat beside her: “It’s not my fault—fans will always speculate. Right?”
Ruijiao peeked out with only the top of her head visible, eyes shut. The room fell silent. Ye sighed again, lay back, and closed her eyes, replaying the feel of that kiss—they had kissed. She drifted off into soft pink dreams.
Ruijiao didn’t fall asleep easily. Ye’s constant surprises vexed her. And to think she got kissed as a stand-in? Bad luck. She hoped the moment they finished, they’d have nothing to do with each other—no more pretenses, no more meetings.
Eventually, she drifted off.
Outside, the sun was dipping. The others returned slowly, some choosing to avoid Ye. The sky darkened, and insects chirped louder. The group had finished tasks, and dinner awaited. In the lounge, though, Ruijiao and Ye were missing. The crew said they were napping. The others exchanged glances—but no one dared wake them.
“Xuanxuan, since you’ve been with Jiao-jiao all day, why not go check on her?” Meng Yi teased.
Xuanxuan froze, then followed: “Um…” She wasn’t scared of Ruijiao—but of Ye Jie, absolutely.
“Let’s play rock-paper-scissors. Loser goes.” Jin Yan offered, lightly smiling.
They all nodded.
The live stream cut there.
“Ah! Who will go?”
“Is Ye Jie really in the room? Suspicious…”
“Is Ruijiao too?”
“What happened?”
“It’s black screen—what timing!”
“Typical network tricks—gone each evening!”
“I’ll pay to stay!”
“+1, so curious!”
In the end, Jin Yan lost. Bracing himself, he knocked at their door. Quiet for a long moment, then:
“Who is it?” Ruijiao’s voice, groggy. Lights came on. Ye, awakened, sat up and squinted.
“It’s me—Ruijiao-jie, Ye-jie. Dinner’s ready…” Jin Yan said, tone deferential.
“We’ll be down soon,” Ruijiao replied firmly.
Ye blinked as she listened, then rose and headed to the washroom. They met again there. This time Ye stayed quiet, following Ruijiao like a shadow. Washing up side by side, neither speaking.
Even though she knew everyone, Ye had no need to ingratiate; the others regarded her with respectful distance—something she was used to. She didn’t care to change.
The others noticed Ye’s light presence: calm, lazy, yet unmistakably there. Their relationship—rumored tense? Yet not quite. It was perplexing.
They politely greeted each other. The atmosphere was more relaxed, adjusted to Ye’s presence. Ye ate quietly, a faint smile as always. Ruijiao led the conversation and rescued the mood.
“Where did you wander off to this afternoon?” Ruijiao asked Xuanxuan.
“Just strolled, chatting, blowing breeze,” she replied happily.
“That’s nice.”
“We had some tasks too—idiom games were tough, but Lin Xuan was great,” Yuchen chimed in, subtly praising her CP.
“You were great too,” Lin Xuan smiled. They teased each other.
Laughter returned. Ye looked on quietly, glancing mostly at Ruijiao.
The room resumed a familiar dynamic: Ruijiao leading, Ye silently poised behind her.
After dinner, everyone helped clean up—knowing Ye wouldn’t speak up. They all cooperated, then drifted to side discussions.
Ruijiao finished and returned to the lounge. Ye was still on her phone. When Ruijiao approached, Ye looked up and gave her a quiet smile, as if waiting.
Ye wore a simple, elegant long dress, her long hair free, and even her bare face looked refined—aloof yet mellowed in person. Ruijiao was used to it.
Once things settled, the production team gathered them for a nighttime mini-game: “I Have, You Don’t.” Everyone quieted and looked at Ye—she clearly had the advantage.
Ye smiled softly and opened: “I’ve won a Sanhua Award.”
“I’ve won [Channel XX] Best Actress.”
As expected, the others lost decisively. This round was clearly meant for Ye.
The prize: she could invite any fellow cast member for a date on a private island, with full amenities. Everyone had hoped for that reward—but Ye’s win made them hesitate. The room fell silent, as they waited for Ye’s choice.
After a minute, she toyed thoughtfully with the task card, then said softly:
“Then I’ll choose Ruijiao.”