The Green Tea Actress Has Too Much After-Show Drama - Chapter 40

Qiu An’s fans were infuriated by her nonchalant attitude.

Ran Long let out a low groan and abruptly stood up from her chair. Noticing the surrounding diners’ gazes turning toward her, she immediately sat back down.

This back-and-forth commotion drew even more attention, and soon, more people recognized them—or rather, recognized Qiu An. They pulled out their phones to snap photos, and some even dared to ask for selfies and invite them to join their meals.

Qiu An smiled gently and politely declined their requests. She paid the bill and pulled Ran Long away from the flashing cameras.

Fortunately, Qiu An had anticipated this. A business car driven by their driver was already waiting outside. The two women quickly got in, and with a swift acceleration, they shook off the crowd trying to follow.

As the crowd receded into the distance, Ran Long remarked, “That was terrifying! It felt like being surrounded by zombies.”

Qiu An asked, “Have you never been recognized before?”

“Yeah, but usually just one or two people recognize me. It was more when I was younger, but that was probably because they recognized Ran Cheng. Wait a minute… you knew all along you’d be recognized, didn’t you?”

“Mhm. I thought you knew too.”

“I knew it,” Ran Long said, her tone sharp.

“But you dressed up so carefully today.”

The implication was clear: If you dressed up like this, weren’t you hoping to be photographed?

“How good do you think I’ll look under those cameras, my dear sister? Wanna bet? When the final footage comes out, they’ll either distort my face into some weird shape or make my 1.7-meter height look like 1.5 meters…”

“You look beautiful no matter what,” Qiu An said.

Critical hit! Ran Long’s HP bar emptied instantly.

Whether Qiu An meant it or not, Ran Long was definitely enjoying the compliment.

“Just… next time, let’s discuss it beforehand, okay?”

“Okay.”

They detoured to pick up Sister Hou and Xi Xi. When Sister Hou got in, she was carrying a family bucket of fried chicken.

“We brought some for you too,” Xi Xi said.

“Actually, we just ordered too much by accident!” Sister Hou added.

Xi Xi shot her a look.

Ran Long happily took the bucket and raised her chin at Qiu An, as if to say, See? My assistant is more honest than yours.

Xi Xi ignored her. She noticed Qiu An’s red-rimmed eyes, as if she had just been crying.

“Have you been crying?” Xi Xi asked Qiu An, then turned to Ran Long.

“Hey! Why are you looking at me? Isn’t it embarrassing for a grown woman like her to cry just because I teased her?”

“It has nothing to do with you,” Qiu An said. “The noodles I ate earlier had mint in them. I’m a little allergic.”

“I have allergy medicine in my bag,” Xi Xi said, already retreating into her seat. She knew Qiu An’s mint allergy only caused watery eyes, and since she had stopped crying, there was no need for the medicine.

Sure enough, Qiu An replied, “It’s okay, I’m fine now.”

Actually, Xi Xi didn’t have any allergy medicine in her bag.

See? I’m a great actress. I learned it from your Qiu An.

Ran Long opened the bucket, and the aroma of fried chicken filled the car. She gazed at the golden, crispy pieces, unable to resist swallowing hard.

When was the last time I had fried chicken? Before filming The Sound of Falling Leaves, right? Ran Long had a naturally slim figure, but even she couldn’t escape the film industry’s unforgiving cameras.

When was the last time Qiu An had fried chicken? Was it when they were holed up together in that rented apartment?

Ran Long asked Qiu An, “Want some? You didn’t eat enough for lunch, did you?”

Xi Xi leaned forward and snapped a photo of the fried chicken.

“What are you doing?” Ran Long asked.

“If she eats this, I’m sending the photo to her nutritionist.”

“Are you out of your mind? Then why did you say you brought this for her? Qiu An, are you too nice to your subordinates? How dare they walk all over you like this?”

“She’s just looking out for me,” Qiu An replied.

“So, are you going to eat it or not?”

Qiu An stared at the bucket of fried chicken in Ran Long’s arms, silent. Ran Long’s sharp eyes caught the bobbing of her throat.

“Without the skin, it’s just healthy chicken br3ast and drumsticks. Come on, have some.”

Ran Long put on gloves, selected a piece of chicken br3ast, and meticulously peeled off every last bit of the crispy, starchy skin. She then held the bare, glistening meat out to Xi Xi. “See? Healthy, right? Take a picture of this too.”

Xi Xi obediently snapped another photo.

The fried chicken smelled heavenly, even the skinless br3ast was enough to make Ran Long’s mouth water. She took a hearty bite, convincing herself that the lingering oily juices were a well-deserved indulgence. She felt so happy she almost cried.

She shoved the family-sized bucket at Qiu An, urging her to pick a piece. Qiu An accepted the bucket but hesitated, eyeing the chicken with uncertainty.

“What’s wrong? Worried about your image?” Ran Long teased.

Qiu An nodded.

Well, she was being honest. Since they still had a ways to go and nothing else to do, she might as well repay some of the favor she owed Qiu An while she had the chance.

Ran Long peeled a chicken leg and held it to Qiu An’s lips.

Qiu An obediently opened her mouth and took small, dainty bites, like a little bird pecking at its food. Normally, Ran Long would have impatiently urged her to eat faster, but this time she was remarkably patient.

After all, she was repaying a debt of gratitude.

Another click sounded from behind them.

Ran Long turned to Xi Xi, puzzled. “You’re taking pictures of this too? If you’re going to film every bite she takes, why not just record a video?”

Xi Xi’s eyes lit up. “Great idea!”

“Wait, you’re not going to use this for some promotional material, are you?”

“You’re overthinking it.”

Xi Xi immediately sent the recorded video to Qiu An.

Moments later, a large red envelope popped up on her phone. Xi Xi gleefully tapped to claim it.

Getting handsomely rewarded for capturing intimate photos? Xi Xi thought. This sounds like something straight out of an old-fashioned idol drama. It seems all CEOs are a bit eccentric, and Qiu An is no exception.

The filming location was chosen to be a village on the outskirts of Zhilin, a long drive from the airport where they had arrived.

After a hearty meal and some playful banter, Xi Xi and Sister Hou quickly grew drowsy, their heads falling together in sleep.

Ran Long, having slept well on the morning flight, felt no fatigue. Qiu An, though her eyes were closed, seemed preoccupied, her brow furrowed slightly as if deep in thought.

Ran Long also had her own worries. She wondered if Qiu An was thinking about the same thing.

Yuan Chengyin had sent her the latest storyboard. The scenes with nudity were subtly veiled—after all, they weren’t filming pornography.

Yuan Chengyin was a master of these coy, suggestive shots, revealing little yet igniting the imagination.

Whether this was to protect the actors or simply his personal preference, it didn’t matter. After reviewing the entire storyboard, the level of exposure was no greater than that of an underwear commercial.

The problem wasn’t about how much clothing she had to remove.

It was Ran Long’s uncertainty about whether she could convincingly portray the scenes of intimacy.

When it comes to acting, the more ordinary the experience, the more crucial it is for the actor to have firsthand knowledge.

After all, few people know what it feels like to kill, while most adults have… well, you know.

Unfortunately, Ran Long belonged to that small minority. She had never done it, never been there, never even felt it.

As an actress, watching movies was part of her training. She devoured films from all eras and genres, both domestic and foreign, always managing to catch the uncensored, explicit scenes.

During her adolescence, Ran Long had been curious. She tried the methods she’d learned from the movies.

But beyond the physical stimulation, she felt nothing else.

Whether it was a physiological issue or a psychological block, no matter what she tried, it never felt like it did in the movies.

It’s just acting, after all, she reasoned. There’s always an element of exaggeration.

Until…

Until last month in Crossing City.

When Qiu An kissed her… when she saw Qiu An’s disheveled clothes…

Why her? Why Qiu An of all people?

Ran Long was a bit troubled.

Come to think of it, does it really have to be Qiu An? Even at her worst, Qiu An is still a stunning beauty, isn’t she?

Ran Long wasn’t some otherworldly nun; having feelings was perfectly normal.

Her eyes darted around, and she quickly realized that to test this theory, she could simply try it on someone else. If she found the right method, she could complete the shoot smoothly without getting close to Qiu An.

Ran Long turned and fixed her gaze on Sister Hou, who was sleeping soundly. As both my manager and assistant, helping me get into character wouldn’t be too much to ask, right?

Forget it. Sister Hou is such a proper and conservative girl. If she got upset and accused me of workplace sexual harassment, my career would be over.

What about Xi Xi? Upon closer inspection, Xi Xi was quite pretty too.

Perhaps it was occupational habit, but Xi Xi sensed the burning gaze and snapped her eyes open with uncanny alertness, meeting Ran Long’s malevolent scrutiny head-on.

Ran Long recoiled as if electrocuted.

No way. Someone who’s been with Qiu An for so long can’t be a pushover. She might even be more difficult to deal with than Qiu An herself.

After checking into the hotel and collecting her room key, Ran Long was pleasantly surprised to discover she wouldn’t have to share a suite with Qiu An this time. Though their rooms were still very close, just across the hall from each other.

This hotel was the best in the area, though its amenities couldn’t compare to those in Crossing City. Fortunately, the rooms were quite spacious.

After dropping off her luggage, Ran Long wasted no time and hurried to the film set.

She didn’t have any scenes to shoot that day, but there was no rule against observing.

At the set, Yuan Chengyin was directing the art department in setting up the scenery, while also filming transitional shots and some close-ups with unclear significance that Ran Long couldn’t quite understand.

Seeing Ran Long arrive, Yuan Chengyin greeted her, “Xiao Ran? What brings you here? Have you memorized your lines yet?”

Aiya.

The moment he spoke, he gave off that feeling you get when you visit your mother at work during summer vacation, hoping to surprise her, only for her to greet you with, “Have you finished your summer homework yet?”

What exactly did Qiu An like about Yuan Chengyin? Could it be that her lack of maternal affection since childhood had led her to develop some kind of twisted mother complex?

Ran Long replied, “You start filming first. I’ll just wander around and get into character.”

“Alright. But don’t mess with the props.”

Ran Long clasped her hands behind her back and, turning away, asked, “Why don’t you tie my hands up?”

Ran Long’s purpose for being here was to rekindle her feelings for Yuan Chengyin. After all, he was someone she had once liked in her youth, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to feel something, right?

But the thought of feeling sexually aroused by this man felt strangely repulsive.

Just hang in there a little longer, she told herself. Otherwise, there’s no one else to practice with.

Yuan Chengyin, of course, wouldn’t tie her up. This gave Ran Long the opportunity to hover around her, touching her here and there, pressing close.

“Are you hot, Director Yuan? Even a sun-protective jacket is still a jacket. There’s barely any sun now—should I help you take it off?”

When Yuan Chengyin was working, her focus was always laser-sharp. This time was no different. She absentmindedly agreed to whatever Ran Long said, her mind elsewhere.

As Ran Long helped Yuan Chengyin undress, she deliberately stroked his neck, arms, and fingers.

He felt absolutely nothing. Her touch was as good as no touch at all—or rather, like touching nothing.

Well, not exactly. Yuan Chengyin was sweating, leaving Ran Long’s hands sticky.

“Are you still feeling hot? Why are you sweating so much? Let me wipe you down.”

She started with his forehead, gently wiping down his cheeks to his collarbones.

Not only was he sweating, but his skin was also oily. Ran Long tossed the tissue into the trash and detoured to wash her hands, scrubbing them twice with hand sanitizer.

“Ah! Director Yuan! Watch out—!”

Yuan Chengyin, engrossed in the scenery, missed a step on the stairs. Ran Long reacted swiftly, pulling him into her arms.

He thanked her, and she smiled, feeling the red scarf around her neck glow even brighter.

An entire afternoon spent as his assistant and bodyguard.

What kind of feelings could possibly come from this?!

No, I need to step up the intensity.

When I developed feelings for Qiu An, it wasn’t just playful touches like this!