Marked by the Milk-Soft Alpha I Picked Up (Entertainment Circle) - Chapter 8

Guan Yinghan forced down the fragile emotions in her heart and obediently nodded. But why did being apart from Ruoyun for just a few hours feel so terrible, so scary, like they were being separated by life and death? 

It was so bad that she was on the verge of crying and breaking character… She was, after all, the Second Miss of the Guan family, a name that everyone feared.

However, the more she tried to hold on, the more she couldn’t. Guan Yinghan’s eyelashes quietly became wet.

Lin Ruoyun reached out her hand to wipe the water from her long lashes. Ruoyun’s heart was also about to break, but she had no other choice. It was okay for her to suffer a little, but she couldn’t let Naitang be miserable. She had to find a way to earn a living.

Lin Ruoyun took a few fruit candies from her small crossbody bag and placed them in Guan Yinghan’s palm. 

“Naitang, don’t be sad. If you miss your sister, just eat a candy. After you finish all the candies, Sister will appear.”

Guan Yinghan lowered her eyes, holding the candies in her sleeve with care. She nodded heavily.

******

Sister Zhang took Ruoyun to the director and said some good things about her. The director already thought highly of Lin Ruoyun. This young lady had none of the arrogance of other Omegas; he could see her hard work and talent. On set, she was the most hardworking and had never caused anyone any trouble. So, Sister Zhang didn’t have to talk much before the director agreed to let Ruoyun stay and gave her a role with a few lines.

Lin Ruoyun found a step in a corner outside the set and sat down, seriously studying the script. Even though there were only a few lines, she didn’t dare to be careless. It didn’t matter that she had few lines; Lin Ruoyun loved acting, portraying different characters, and interpreting their joys and sorrows.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the entrance. Many people came out fawning over someone. From the way they were acting, it was clear that the lead actress, Zhan Qing, had arrived.

Zhan Qing immediately spotted Lin Ruoyun in the corner. She walked over with her head held high and scoffed. “Oh, look who it is. It’s the most principled Miss Lin.”

Lin Ruoyun didn’t want to cause any more trouble, so she stayed silent. Her retreat was misinterpreted as disdain by Zhan Qing, and her expression instantly darkened. The atmosphere on set became tense, so quiet you could hear the sound of the equipment running.

The director couldn’t help but feel sorry for Lin Ruoyun. This rare, talented individual had offended Zhan Qing. From now on, he was afraid no one would even dare to use her as a body double. 

Under the pressure of capital, the director had no choice but to bow down. He waved his hand and called Sister Zhang over. “Zhang Shuixian, why did you bring her here? Didn’t I tell you that I wouldn’t use Lin Ruoyun in my films anymore?”

Sister Zhang forced a smile, her eyes darting to Lin Ruoyun in the corner and then back to the furious Zhan Qing. She immediately understood everything.

“I’m sorry, Director,” Sister Zhang said, bowing at a nearly 90-degree angle. 

She pulled Lin Ruoyun over with a look of disappointment. “I’ll take her away now.”

“Wait a minute!” Zhan Qing suddenly turned around and came close to Lin Ruoyun, her voice dripping with malice. 

“Let her stay and be my scene partner.”

It was out of character for Zhan Qing to ask someone to stay. The director and Sister Zhang exchanged a look, both silently worrying for Lin Ruoyun.

Sure enough, as soon as they started rehearsing, Zhan Qing gave Lin Ruoyun a hard time. She would either say Lin Ruoyun’s acting was too superficial and lacked emotion, or that she misread her lines, making it impossible for her to continue. 

In the end, when she couldn’t find any fault with Lin Ruoyun’s performance, she would just get angry. No matter whether Ruoyun did anything wrong or not, they had to reshoot the scene.

After three hours of this, all the crew members were starting to get annoyed. The director picked up his megaphone again. “Dream’s Edge, Scene 39, Take 1, action!”

The scene was about the maid, played by Lin Ruoyun, accidentally dropping a jade ornament that the lead actress, played by Zhan Qing, was wearing into the water. Afraid of being scolded, she jumps into the river to find it.

Lin Ruoyun was already ready. She would be in the water for most of this scene. It was late autumn in Tianhai City, and the man-made pool was warm at first. But Zhan Qing deliberately misread her lines, stalling for time, and forcing one reshoot after another. The water had long since turned cold. 

After only a little while in the water, Lin Ruoyun felt completely frozen. When she got out, a cold wind blew over her, making her kneecaps ache.

In the next scene, Lin Ruoyun had to return the jade pendant to the lead actress. She finished her lines to Zhan Qing, her expression and movements perfect. Even the slight tremor of her eyelashes perfectly conveyed the maid’s fear and guilt.

However, Zhan Qing was not satisfied. She stood behind the director, staring at the monitor, and said in a soft voice, “Director Zhang… I think the hair-combing motion could be done better. Let’s do another take.”

The director was frustrated, but his face held a polite smile. 

“Sister Qing, you’ve done an excellent job. I think we can move on. Otherwise, it will affect our schedule, and it will be hard for me to explain to the investors.”

Zhan Qing refused to give up and was about to throw a tantrum when she heard her assistant whisper in her ear, “Sister Qing, the next scene is the one where you slap the maid.”

Zhan Qing gave a secret smile. “Change of costumes, prepare for the next scene.”

******

Guan Yinghan sat alone under the eaves of the studio. The night wind blew gently, making her black, slightly wavy hair sway in a beautiful arc, revealing her delicate and cold profile. She quietly lowered her head and opened her palm. 

Only one fruit candy was left. She unwrapped the candy, put the orange-flavored one in her mouth, and stared intently in the direction of the film crew.

Ruoyun had said that she would come get her after she finished all the candies. But she had finished them, so why hadn’t Ruoyun appeared? 

She had only found Ruoyun a few days ago, and it still didn’t feel real. She had the constant feeling that she was in a dream and would lose her in the next second. 

After being separated from Ruoyun for four hours, Guan Yinghan felt she was at her limit. She wanted to see Ruoyun, even if it was just from a distance.

Lost in thought, Guan Yinghan’s legs began to move uncontrollably towards the film crew.

A few frustrated extras walked towards her. A minor actress in a pink maid costume was complaining to an actor dressed as a servant. 

“Zhan Qing is too much! Just because she has an investor backing her, she doesn’t care about anyone else and makes us all suffer with her.”

“I know, right!” the actor dressed as a servant agreed. “She’s just jealous that Lin Ruoyun is a better actress and prettier than she is, which is why she’s targeting her.”

The minor actress looked worried.

 “Lin Ruoyun is so miserable. Not only was she forced to stay in the cold water for three hours, but now she’s using the acting scene as an excuse to slap her. I saw it just now. There was no faking it; she really hit her…”

Every word of their conversation fell into Guan Yinghan’s ears. She clenched her fingers tightly until the pain in her palms was unbearable.

In the past, she had no power to protect Ruoyun. Now, she controlled the entire Runhai Group and was at the peak of power. Anyone who dared to bully Ruoyun would pay for it a hundred times over.