The Cold Queen is My Exclusive Little Snack - Chapter 29

As Zuo Xingning had predicted, Jiang Shuqing was exceptionally well-suited for the role of Jiang Qingrong. Having trained in dance since childhood, Jiang Shuqing possessed remarkable core strength, making action scenes a breeze for her.

From every angle, the role of Jiang Qingrong seemed tailor-made for her.

However, ideals often clash with reality.

After watching Jiang Shuqing’s two performances, Guo Wenxin, though satisfied, didn’t immediately cast her. Instead, she asked Jiang Shuqing to perform again without makeup or costume, this time under the camera’s gaze.

Zuo Xingning initially didn’t understand Guo Wenxin’s intention until she was called over to watch the monitor together.

In nearly every shot, Jiang Shuqing’s eyes followed the camera.

As a former idol, instinctively tracking the lens was second nature to her—a fatal flaw for an actress.

After the performance, Guo Wenxin meticulously pointed out the issue. When Jiang Shuqing stood before the camera again, she swung to the opposite extreme—avoiding the lens entirely.

This wasn’t unconscious avoidance; her entire focus was now on “avoiding the camera,” and this forced posture seeped into her performance.

No matter what, this wasn’t going to work.

After two takes, Jiang Shuqing stood before the camera, utterly flustered.

As the crowd of onlookers grew, Guo Wenxin had no choice but to let Jiang Shuqing rest. Though she said nothing, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Since Zuo Xingning had brought Jiang Shuqing, she would have to take her away.

After walking a short distance, Jiang Shuqing lowered her head and muttered sullenly, “Zuo Xingning, what kind of role did you get me? The part is so small! Go tell the director I don’t want to do it.”

Zuo Xingning knew she was saying the opposite of what she meant. “If you didn’t want to do it, why did you audition for both a dialogue scene and an action scene? You’re afraid of heights—your face went pale when they put you in the harness. Don’t tell me you just realized how small the part is.”

Jiang Shuqing sniffled but remained silent.

Silent?

Zuo Xingning stopped and turned around.

Jiang Shuqing was slightly shorter, so from this angle, Zuo Xingning could only see the top of her fluffy head.

“Hey,” Zuo Xingning paused. “You’re not… crying, are you?”

“……”

A little over ten minutes later, Zuo Xingning brought Jiang Shuqing back, who had finished crying, and asked the director to give her another chance.

Guo Wenxin didn’t refuse, immediately turning to instruct the staff to arrange it.

In such a short time, not even enough to finish a meal, she naturally didn’t expect Jiang Shuqing’s acting to have undergone a miraculous transformation. She agreed simply because she didn’t want to crush the young woman’s confidence.

Besides… the crew members were still busy gossiping, with few focused on their work. Giving Jiang Shuqing another test shoot would at least help them regain their focus.

However, she hadn’t anticipated that Jiang Shuqing would actually show real improvement this time.

In terms of voice, stage presence, and physical expression, Jiang Shuqing had already excelled in the first three areas. The only thing lacking was her acting.

Perhaps driven by desperation, Jiang Shuqing’s movements and expressions were more unrestrained during this audition. Most importantly, her eyes no longer followed the camera; instead, they blended into the environment, looking where “Jiang Qingrong” should be looking.

Guo Wenxin unconsciously straightened her posture, clicking her tongue in amazement.

Seeing this reaction, Zuo Xingning felt three points more confident. “Director, do you think it’s acceptable?”

“Not bad,” Guo Wenxin replied without pretense. “She’s improving quickly.”

The screenwriter chimed in, “Her performance is still raw, but it’s a happy accident. It unexpectedly deepens Jiang Qingrong’s awkwardness and makes her ‘words not matching her heart’ trait even more pronounced. I think Jiang Shuqing can handle this role.”

Guo Wenxin nodded, clearly sharing the same opinion.

It wasn’t that they couldn’t find a more suitable actress, but delaying the entire production for one role wasn’t worth it. In an emergency, the quickest solution is often the best.

Guo Wenxin was only curious about one thing: “What did you say to her when you took her aside earlier?”

“Nothing much,” Zuo Xingning smiled. “I just told her to try imagining the camera as an eye.”

“An eye?”

“Mm-hmm, an eye.”

Those in their line of work were long accustomed to the various gazes cast upon them, treating them as nothing more than air. In a way, the camera lens was just another kind of “gaze.”

With the cast finalized, the previously stalled production resumed smoothly.

Before wrapping up for the night, Zuo Xingning received the revised shooting schedule.

Good news: Only three scenes tomorrow.

Bad news: One scene each in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

The staff explained that the female lead’s schedule was extremely tight. After Xu Yang’s incident, she also had to cooperate with reshoots. To shorten the production timeline, tomorrow’s schedule would be almost entirely dedicated to the female lead’s scenes.

Zuo Xingning’s three scenes were merely incidental.

Incidental or not, the schedule couldn’t be changed. After all, even the busiest and most exhausted female lead hadn’t complained.

Hearing this, Zuo Xingning felt a lump in her throat, experiencing firsthand what it meant to be too clever for her own good.

Later, when Chu Shiyin returned to the hotel after finishing work, she found a small, dejected mushroom radiating melancholy on the sofa.

“Where did you get this room key?” Chu Shiyin bent down and kissed the little mushroom’s eyes.

“I asked Sister Siya. She gave me Sister Li Xue’s spare key.”

Li Xue had been Chu Shiyin’s assistant for many years and had personally trained Lizi. Recently, Li Xue had fallen ill and taken a two-month leave to recover, which was why Lizi had accompanied Chu Shiyin during the filming of Escape to Freedom.

Chu Shiyin was surprised. “When did you and Siya become so close?”

“I don’t know… Maybe she’s just in a good mood today?”

They finished work early that day. Knowing Chu Shiyin was still in rehearsal, Zuo Xingning went to a nearby café to wait. She had been there for a while when she finally received a reply to her earlier message: rehearsal had ended, but there was a dinner arranged by the theater afterward.

Realizing waiting indefinitely was pointless, Zuo Xingning went to find Yu Siya, hoping she would help open Chu Shiyin’s hotel room. Anticipating resistance, she had prepared a bargaining chip in advance—

She boldly asked for Chu Shiyin’s spare room key.

To her surprise, Yu Siya actually gave it to her.

Zuo Xingning scratched her cheek, still puzzled. Seeing Chu Shiyin go to the bathroom to wash her hands, she followed and wrapped her arms around her waist from behind.

“Jiejie, I might not be able to make it back tomorrow.”

Their bodies were pressed so close that Zuo Xingning’s breath warmed the hollow of Chu Shiyin’s shoulder, leaving a delicate pink flush in its wake.

Lost in her complaints, Zuo Xingning completely failed to notice. She spilled the day’s events like beans from a bamboo tube, ending with a sigh: “…If I’d known, I would have just minded my own business.”

After all, the outcome was exactly the same for her!

Chu Shiyin dried her hands and, still in that position, led Zuo Xingning out like she was dragging a tail.

“It doesn’t matter. After midnight counts as your birthday, right? You’re here, aren’t you?”

“It’s different,” Zuo Xingning mumbled, completely oblivious to where she was being taken. “We’ll definitely fall asleep later.”

The door closed behind them, cutting off the light. The darkness that had been lurking in the corners stretched out, swallowing them whole.

“Jiejie?” Zuo Xingning finally realized something was wrong, but before she could say another word, her lips were sealed.

Her incessant chatter was forced into silence. Now, her mouth had other “work” to do.

Having just come in from the cold, Chu Shiyin’s lips were cool against Zuo Xingning’s, their temperatures blending seamlessly, indistinguishable from one another.

Back in the bathroom, after Zuo Xingning had clung to her, Chu Shiyin hadn’t been able to hear a single word she said.

The desire that had been kindled the previous night was like a dying fire, its embers glowing red. A single breath would reignite it into a raging blaze.

Zuo Xingning had done more than just breathe on her neck.

Chu Shiyin possessed eyes of striking intensity, their irises large and dark, set against pristine whites, creating an almost ethereal purity.

When that purity was stained with lust, it became utterly captivating.

A single glance from Chu Shiyin was enough to make Zuo Xingning’s legs go weak. She desperately wished she had a rope to tie herself up, letting Chu Shiyin tether her wherever she pleased.

Chu Shiyin pulled her into the room, her arms wrapped around her. Tonight, with ample time, even their kisses were meticulous.

Last night’s rough kiss had clearly left a less-than-pleasant impression on Zuo Xingning.

Chu Shiyin slowed her movements, her tongue gliding gently, coaxing and enticing, cunningly capturing all of Zuo Xingning’s attention.

By the time Zuo Xingning regained her senses, she was already lying back on the bed.

The clasp of her bra had come undone, and something cold and serpentine was slithering beneath her clothes, as agile as a snake.

So cold, Zuo Xingning shivered violently.

The icy serpent wound its way down her body until it found a warm, soft haven, curling up as if preparing for hibernation.

“Cold…” Zuo Xingning murmured against their still-pressed lips, pushing weakly at the woman above her.

Her efforts were futile, as if she had simply offered her hands up on a platter.

Chu Shiyin casually scooped up both of Zuo Xingning’s hands and pinned them above her head against the pillow.

The temperature of her wrists was also icy.

Chu Shiyin had a slight aversion to germs; she always washed her hands immediately upon returning from outside. After contact with cold water, her fingertips were the last to warm up.

That lingering chill gradually warmed beneath Chu Shiyin’s touch, until it surpassed Zuo Xingning’s own body temperature.

Having emerged from hibernation, the snake, now warmed, slithered out of its deep burrow and descended downstream in search of food.

Its journey was unobstructed as it slid down the hills and set foot on the fertile, treasure-laden land.

Having missed its chance before, it was determined to ensure no unexpected interruptions this time.

Zuo Xingning’s resistance was crushed in its infancy.

Chu Shiyin, her mind brimming with mischief, flung aside Zuo Xingning’s outer skirt, leaving her leggings bunched above her knees.

With her legs and waist immobilized, Zuo Xingning’s attempts to push Chu Shiyin off proved futile.

Chu Shiyin moved with effortless ease. Never one to play fair, she reveled in exploiting her opponent’s vulnerability.

A tingling numbness spread through her body.

Zuo Xingning arched her back, a soft moan escaping her lips, as faint as a kitten’s mew.

Chu Shiyin wanted to hear more, but her leg was nudged. She obediently moved aside, but had no intention of letting Zuo Xingning off the hook.

Her fingertips twisted and plucked.

Zuo Xingning could only press her knees together, clenching her legs tightly.

She couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, which Zuo Xingning noticed, prompting an angry bite.

It stung.

“Are you a little dog?”

Nose to nose, Chu Shiyin’s dark eyes sparkled with amusement. Without waiting for the “little dog” to reply, she kissed her again.

The kiss swallowed her voice, then drifted to the corner of her lips, her cheek, finally settling at her ear.

Her breath warmed Zuo Xingning’s earlobe.

A soft blow, a shiver.

“Do you like it?”

Chu Shiyin, keenly aware of the resonant frequency, nipped at Zuo Xingning’s earlobe, her voice a seductive whisper.

“……”

Zuo Xingning trembled slightly, her ears flushing crimson with embarrassment. She stubbornly refused to make a sound.

In certain peculiar ways, they were remarkably alike.

Chu Shiyin wasn’t entirely satisfied, but fortunately, she was a patient hunter.

Her right hand stilled, and she released Zuo Xingning’s restraint. Her left hand slid down through Zuo Xingning’s hair, fingertips tracing the delicate curve of her ear.

She had discovered that this little dog’s ears were another sensitive spot—touch them, and she would tremble, as if there were a hidden switch.

With each teasing caress, Zuo Xingning’s focus gradually shifted, her entire world narrowing to the hand stroking her face.

“Jiejie…”

The calloused fingertip slid from her ear to her lips. Zuo Xingning didn’t understand the gesture, but she obediently took it between her teeth.

In the darkness, a pair of wet, pleading eyes followed Chu Shiyin’s every move—a silent plea for mercy.

“Such a good girl,” Chu Shiyin murmured, her index finger stirring gently.

“Ah…”

Before Zuo Xingning could grasp the meaning of her words, the warm serpent that had been coiled within her suddenly stirred.

With both lips and tongue pressed beneath Chu Shiyin’s finger, Zuo Xingning could no longer suppress her voice, letting out a short, involuntary moan.

This seemed to be just the opening signal.

The sounds grew more urgent, Zuo Xingning’s face flushing crimson with embarrassment, bright tears welling at the corners of her eyes.

Chu Shiyin’s fingers pressed against her teeth, preventing her from biting down. Zuo Xingning could only let the shameful sounds escape.

Unconsciously, a hint of grievance crept into her voice.

Chu Shiyin’s lips curved into a smile, her eyes betraying a satisfaction she herself hadn’t realized she felt.

She had always hated seeing Zuo Xingning suffer, except in this place, unless she was the one tormenting her.

Her right hand continued its work.

Encountering far greater resistance than her left, she could only use her thumb to gently knead Zuo Xingning’s lip bead, slowly coaxing it to relax.

But the effort seemed futile; her fingertip still couldn’t advance even an inch.

After several unsatisfactory attempts, Chu Shiyin reluctantly abandoned the effort for now, focusing instead on massaging the lip bead.

When faced with the unknown, Chu Shiyin always preferred to prepare thoroughly in advance.

The “failure” a month ago had been an anomaly. In the intervening time, she had absorbed a wealth of theoretical knowledge, eagerly awaiting the chance to put it into practice on Zuo Xingning.

The dim light blurred her sense of time. Chu Shiyin couldn’t tell how long had passed, but she could feel the lip she was pressing against growing swollen with bl00d.

Zuo Xingning was as fragile and sensitive as she was now.

Almost there. No one had to tell her; Chu Shiyin seemed to instinctively know that only one final push remained.

One last time.

The dance of her fingertips grew faster and more frantic.

A suppressed cry echoed in the darkness, followed by silence.

Chu Shiyin switched on the light, revealing everything she had tried to conceal.

Zuo Xingning was still convulsing.

Chu Shiyin lowered her gaze, staring into those glazed, tea-colored eyes, and uncontrollably…

Brilliant tears streamed down her face.