Reborn! Entangled with the Obsessive Best Actress - Chapter 40

Several knocks echoed against the door, but there was no response.

Yu Zhi mustered her courage and knocked again. Finally, the door clicked open, revealing not Song Qingxing’s radiant face, but a slightly aloof one. Startled, Yu Zhi stammered, “A-Actress Xie? What are you doing here?”

“Who else would it be?” Xie Jingcheng replied, draped in a bathrobe. A closer look would reveal mottled marks on her neck.

Yu Zhi clicked her tongue inwardly. What a fierce battle! If those marks don’t fade, the makeup artist will have their work cut out for them.

We can’t let the director or the audience notice anything.

“Qingxing is already getting her makeup done. I’ll take her to the set after breakfast,” Xie Jingcheng said.

Since the male lead was struggling with his scenes, Song Qingxing would only be sitting around waiting anyway. She needed to wait for him to get his act together before she could smoothly transition into her own scenes.

“Is that so?” Yu Zhi smiled. “Then I’ll go prepare the props.”

Xie Jingcheng nodded and closed the door. Turning around, she glanced at the person inside. Song Qingxing was nowhere near ready for makeup. Her hair was a mess, clearly having just leaped out of bed.

“You said I was getting my makeup done? I’m not even ready yet…”

Xie Jingcheng was truly fearless in the face of danger, daring to lie so effortlessly. No wonder she was the Best Actress; Song Qingxing could never pull that off.

“What are you afraid of? Just wear a mask. The makeup artist will take care of it at the set.”

Xie Jingcheng leaned against the doorframe. There was likely a restaurant downstairs in the hotel; she had sent her assistant a message earlier to check out places with good reviews and menus.

“I’ll take you out to eat later.”

Xie Jingcheng reached out, her slender fingers gently untangling Song Qingxing’s messy hair. After a quick tidy, she picked up the comb from the bedside table and began brushing it carefully.

Her expression was tender, like that of a newlywed husband caring for his wife.

Song Qingxing initially felt awkward and nervous, but gradually she began to enjoy the sensation, just as she had the night before.

By the time they finished getting ready, the sun was high in the sky. Song Qingxing’s cheeks flushed slightly; she had never woken up this late before, especially with the lingering soreness in her waist and thighs.

The sensation seemed amplified by the circumstances.

Song Qingxing could only press her legs together, silently telling herself that this was normal for someone’s first time. Perhaps she would get used to it after a few more experiences.

The thought that she had never even dated anyone in her previous life made Song Qingxing’s lips tighten. At least she had made up for it in this life.

And she had even gotten to sleep with Actress Xie.

After finishing an early breakfast that was practically lunch, Song Qingxing finally arrived at the film set. Rushing to get her makeup done, she had to leave Xie Jingcheng waiting.

“Sis, I already told the makeup artists to take extra care. I even paid them hush money,” Yu Zhi whispered, sidling up to Song Qingxing. She had arrived at the set early that morning. Since Song Qingxing hadn’t shown up, the Director had started filming the male lead’s scenes separately.

To be honest, the newcomer male lead’s acting was truly atrocious. Yu Zhi couldn’t understand why the company was pushing him so hard.

However, she had overheard a rumor from the driver: the male lead was the child of one of the company’s shareholders. Suddenly, everything made sense.

As expected, the ugly children of capitalists will only multiply.

Yu Zhi couldn’t help but worry about whether this film would be a hit.

Though the male lead wasn’t particularly handsome, he still had that fresh, youthful vibe. The Director’s direction was solid too, so it should be fine, right?

Yu Zhi could only reassure herself inwardly.

“Hush money?”

“What hush money?”

Song Qingxing strode forward, her long legs carrying her swiftly like a refreshing breeze. She quickly reached the makeup room.

I haven’t done anything diva-like in the makeup room that would require paying the makeup artist to keep quiet, she thought.

“Weren’t you with Xie Jingcheng yesterday…?” Yu Zhi struggled to find the right words. Though she had been working as an assistant for several years, this was her first time dealing with her boss’s romantic life.

She had consulted a senior colleague in the industry, who advised her to handle it this way to maximize her boss’s peace of mind while dating.

“Xie Jingcheng and I?” Song Qingxing’s mind hadn’t quite caught up.

“You two were in the same room. Shouldn’t something have happened?”

Yu Zhi’s heart skipped a beat. Oh no!

If nothing had actually happened between them, she had just made a fool of herself trying to curry favor.

“Well…”

Song Qingxing had already opened the makeup room door.

She was about to say, “Actually, something earth-shattering did happen,” when she suddenly realized why her assistant had wanted to pay the makeup artist to keep quiet.

Yu Zhi reached out and flicked Song Qingxing’s forehead.

“What are you thinking? Xie Jingcheng is still part of the industry, after all. She didn’t leave any marks on me. She wasn’t rough at all…”

Halfway through her sentence, Song Qingxing wanted to bite her tongue. She realized she had accidentally revealed too much.

“Oh, I see…”

Yu Zhi’s face flushed slightly. Oh no, I think I heard something I shouldn’t have.

“Well, since you already gave it, there’s no need to ask for it back. Just consider it a treat for the makeup artists.”

Everyone knew that on set, you should never offend the makeup artists and stylists. Otherwise, your final look could be so hideous it would make the entire crew weep.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Yu Zhi rubbed her nose. I completely misjudged this situation.

She never imagined Xie Jingcheng, her Gold Sponsor, could be so gentle. It was nothing like the crude and domineering portrayal in novels, where they wouldn’t stop until their partner was covered in bruises.

After the makeup was done, it was Song Qingxing’s turn to film her scene. The extras the Director had hired had also arrived. To maintain authenticity, most of them were drama students from local universities.

The extras were all between nineteen and twenty years old, possessing the naive enthusiasm of college students, making them easy to direct, yet still retaining the last vestiges of youthful vitality.

They were perfect for a campus drama.

This scene was being filmed in a classroom.

All non-essential personnel were asked to leave, except for one: Xie Jingcheng, who leaned casually against the doorframe, watching the scene unfold.

Xie Jingcheng was accompanied by a couple of assistants. Although the Xie Family had invested in the film, the primary funding came from the company backing Song Qingxing.

Logically, Xie Jingcheng shouldn’t have been present at all.

Yet she had not only attended yesterday’s shoot but had returned today as well.

It was truly baffling.

Tang Tang kept her head down, her phone’s work group chat muted, yet notifications continued to flood in.

Tang Tang, why haven’t you urged Jingcheng? We have so many scripts waiting, and if we don’t act soon, other actresses will snatch them up.

Some directors are still waiting for her response.

Tang Tang felt her head spinning, sighing inwardly.

Their Best Actress was too busy chasing women to focus on work.