After Rebirth, the Cold and Aloof Film Queen Always Wants to Cuddle with Me - Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Ye Ruihuan’s hand paused mid-air with the teacup. She stared thoughtfully at the floating tea leaves inside, then lifted her eyelids to glance at Lin Ruijiao—part infatuated, part intrigued.
“What a coincidence. My idol is also Dong Yulan,” Ye Ruihuan said slowly after taking a sip of tea.
“Do you want to meet her? We’re friends,” she added with a faint smile, her tone betraying no emotion.
Lin Ruijiao found herself momentarily confused. She couldn’t figure out what Ye Ruihuan meant by saying such things.
“Thank you, President Ye,” Lin Ruijiao replied with a polite smile and a nod.
“I thought you were supposed to call me by my name?” That teasing lilt at the end of her sentence was nearly seductive.
“Ruihuan?”
“Mm.” Ye Ruihuan responded with evident pleasure.
Looking at Lin Ruijiao now, she really did resemble Dong Yulan a bit. Even the way she called her name felt similar. A rare trace of joy flashed through Ye Ruihuan’s gaze as she looked at her.
Lin Ruijiao lowered her head, pressing her lips together. So it was true—Ye Ruihuan was still into Dong Yulan. She hadn’t even changed the preferred form of address. It seemed that whatever was different in this life had to be the result of the butterfly effect she had caused.
After Ye Ruihuan slowly finished her tea, she left. Wang-jie, who had been quietly keeping an eye on them, immediately rushed out from the other room.
“Ruijiao, what did President Ye say? Do we have any schedule coming up?” she asked anxiously.
“Yes, she said there’s a new script that looks promising. Her assistant will deliver it later.”
“That’s amazing!” Wang-jie gave her a big hug, thrilled. “Did she mention when we’ll audition?”
“No, Wang-jie. No need to rush. Let’s just follow her arrangements,” Lin Ruijiao reassured her with a smile. This manager of hers was always worrying about everything.
“Right, right.”
At some point, Aunt Liu had also come out. “Ruijiao, should we prepare a room for President Ye?”
Wang-jie was quite sociable and had gotten along with Aunt Liu quickly. Naturally, she also had a good relationship with Lin Ruijiao by extension.
“No need, Aunt Liu. President Ye probably won’t have time to rest here, and she wouldn’t stay overnight either,” Lin Ruijiao quickly declined. In her past life, Ye Ruihuan only dropped by occasionally—she hadn’t even stayed for a total of one month. It would be better if she didn’t come anymore. Better not to see her again.
Lin Ruijiao didn’t think she resembled Dong Yulan at all. Dong Yulan was beautiful and elegant, like a graceful swan. Compared to her, she was more like an ugly duckling. But even an ugly duckling could one day transform into a swan on the screen.
Soon, Ye Ruihuan’s assistant arrived.
“Hello, are you Miss Lin Ruijiao?” came a warm, refined voice. Every move she made exuded professionalism and elegance.
“Yes, hello,” Lin Ruijiao responded with a bright smile. She was happy to see this familiar face again. This assistant had helped her a lot in her previous life. Otherwise, with Ye Ruihuan’s temper, things would’ve exploded out in the open long ago.
“Miss Lin, my surname is Li. Just call me Xiao Li,” the assistant said as she sat down beside her and pulled out a thick script from her bag. “This is the script for Moonlight Half that President Ye mentioned. Take a look. Let me know if you need a digital copy.” She then brought out a tablet.
“No need, thank you.” Lin Ruijiao took the script and eagerly flipped it open. Even Wang-jie leaned in for a look.
Meanwhile, Assistant Li quietly observed this “stand-in” her boss had chosen—scanning her from head to toe. She wasn’t stunning, but not plain either. Xiao Li couldn’t help but question whether her boss had misjudged this time. The previous stand-ins all had at least a 60% resemblance to Dong Yulan. This one? Only the eyes were somewhat similar.
Still, it wasn’t her place to worry. Everything was up to President Ye. This Miss Lin seemed easygoing enough—working with her might be less stressful. If she could make Ye Ruihuan even a little bit happier, she would be grateful. Xiao Li let out a soft sigh.
“Miss Lin, here’s my contact information. If you have any questions, just reach out to me.” She handed over her business card. “I’ve delivered the script, so I’ll take my leave.”
“Thank you, Secretary Li.” Lin Ruijiao stood and smiled as she saw her off.
Wang-jie followed behind, chatting and laughing as they walked out together.
After that, Ye Ruihuan didn’t make any contact for over ten days. It wasn’t that Lin Ruijiao missed her, but her manager Wang-jie had an intense sense of urgency. She constantly worried that they had fallen out of favor with the company and would end up forgotten.
Still, before Ye Ruihuan reached out, the film crew contacted them. Moonlight Half was starting production.
Meanwhile, Ye Ruihuan once again awoke from a nightmare. She sighed softly. The company had kept her busy lately, and she had also heard that Director Wenxian was preparing a new script. Dong Yulan would undoubtedly be cast. It was too good an opportunity to pass up—she had to get closer to her.
But the recurring nightmares hadn’t stopped. Even though she had gotten used to waking up in the middle of the night, the heart-wrenching emotions they left behind lingered. She desperately wanted to understand what the dream meant—what had happened to her, and what role Lin Ruijiao played in it. But even after ten days, the dreams remained vague, blurred. Only Lin Ruijiao’s silhouette appeared consistently, which left her more and more restless.
She turned on the small lamp and sat up in bed, thinking hard. She ended up calling Ye Zhi.
“The number you dialed is currently unavailable…”
Ye Ruihuan pursed her lips. Ye Zhi was being petty again.
She found Lin Ruijiao’s contact info and fiddled with the jade pendant in her hand before tapping the screen and calling.
The phone rang—then was declined. Declined!
Ye Ruihuan tightened her grip on the jade. That little brat actually declined her call!
At dawn, she immediately called both Assistant Li and Ye Zhi. That’s when she found out that Lin Ruijiao was already at the filming site.
The crew, filled with talent from their own company, had even invited her to be a guest judge during auditions. She had no interest and had her assistant decline. Now she was suspicious—how had Ye Zhi managed to sneak this unknown D-list actress into the crew? If she acted badly, it would reflect poorly on Huari Entertainment and tarnish their reputation.
“Xiao Li, contact Director Chen. Tell him I’ll drop by the set for some on-site guidance,” she instructed, finding a convenient excuse for herself.
“…Alright, President Ye.” Xiao Li nearly choked. Director Chen had practically begged her boss to come, only to be repeatedly declined. And now this?
“What’s Lin Ruijiao’s status?”
“She’s reportedly studying the script very diligently,” Xiao Li answered neutrally.
“Good. Let’s hope she’s improved. Otherwise, she’ll embarrass the company.”
Xiao Li kept smiling on the outside: With your reputation in this industry, can Huari Entertainment even talk about “face”?
“Make arrangements. We’ll go to the set this afternoon.” Ye Ruihuan tapped her tablet schedule.
“Yes, I’ll contact the driver now.”
Back at the filming location, Lin Ruijiao was fully immersed in the script. She watched the actors intently and occasionally took notes. Wang-jie, however, was nervous and excited, hoping to impress President Ye when she arrived. Since Ruijiao didn’t have a personal assistant, Wang-jie had come to help.
It was early autumn, sunny and pleasant. The outdoor setting suited the youthful vibe of Moonlight Half, a pure romance campus drama.
A sleek black business van pulled up beside the set. Ye Ruihuan stepped out, her long black hair flowing, dressed in high-end casual wear—looking more like she was out for a stroll than a site visit. Assistant Li held an umbrella over her. The producer and director rushed up during their break.
“Ah, President Ye! What an honor!” the director beamed, shaking her hand.
“I had to stop by for Director Chen’s project,” Ye Ruihuan said with a stiff smile.
“Not at all! Maybe you can guide the cast a little?”
Before she could reply, the lead actress—also from their company—Zhou Yanyan approached with a bright smile. “President Ye, are you here to check if I’ve improved my acting?”
Ye Ruihuan nodded faintly, her smile empty.
“Xiao Li,” she called.
Her assistant got the cue and had the driver unload boxes of snacks and drinks. This remote filming location had limited options, so she had prepared ahead of time. The crew helped unload milk tea, fruit, and cake.
Zhou Yanyan naturally took over the umbrella and walked inside with Ye Ruihuan.
“Thank you, President Ye, for your generosity,” said Director Chen, all smiles.
“Not at all. We appreciate your support of our Huari talents.” Zhou Yanyan stuck close, hiding the way Ye Ruihuan’s smile didn’t reach her eyes.
Zhou could feel the chill. She wasn’t sure why President Ye was really here, but her presence would certainly boost her standing in the crew.
Back on the other side, Wang-jie was watching the commotion, tugging repeatedly at Lin Ruijiao’s sleeve. But Ruijiao remained absorbed in her script. She spared only a glance and didn’t seem to care.
Until Ye Ruihuan walked over.
Her face froze as she stared at Lin Ruijiao, who was curled up and completely ignoring her.
Zhou Yanyan held her breath—uh oh, this didn’t look good. That Lin girl really wasn’t afraid of anything.
Director Chen saw the tension and quietly slipped away. Everyone in the industry knew Ye Ruihuan wasn’t easy to deal with. He wanted no part in this drama.
“Hello, President Ye,” Wang-jie quickly stood up and greeted her, tugging at Ruijiao.
Only then did Lin Ruijiao lower her script and slowly rise to her feet, nodding stiffly. It was clear she wasn’t thrilled to see her.
“Hm?” Ye Ruihuan narrowed her eyes dangerously.
That particular form of address… Lin Ruijiao really couldn’t say it out loud in public. She licked her lips and mumbled, “Ruihuan.”
In that moment, time itself seemed to freeze. The world around them paused. A falling leaf twisted in the air and brushed past Lin Ruijiao’s hair before landing on the ground.
Wang-jie: ???
Zhou Yanyan: ???