The Shadow Queen: Flirty and Pampered (GL) - Chapter 5

The male lead was growing impatient. “Have you figured out how to shoot this yet? Hurry up. I’m starving.”

Ye Yansheng said to the director, “If you want intensity, fine. How about I reverse-pin him against the wall? That should work, right? It also fits my domineering CEO persona.”

The director sighed. “Alright, let’s try it and see how it looks.”

Seeing that Ye Yansheng had finally stopped teasing her, Gu Yinglian secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The male and female leads re-shot the wall-pinning scene. The male lead pressed Ye Yansheng’s hand against the wall, but she smirked, wrapped her other arm around his waist, and with a slight push, slammed him against the wall. Wow, so cool! Gu Yinglian felt a surge of excitement—this was the kind of scene she wanted to see.

The height difference between the leads wasn’t too big, and Ye Yansheng’s reverse-pin exuded full presence. She grabbed the male lead’s wrist, staring at him with a devilish look. The usually carefree male lead actually seemed stunned. Ye Yansheng reached out to caress his face—a move that would appear incredibly seductive to onlookers. But the sticky sensation under her fingertips made her slightly nauseous. She maintained a polite smile.

“Cut! That’s a wrap.” The director was satisfied this time—the reversal effect was decent. As expected of a professional actor, meticulous and precise in their craft. The director admired Ye Yansheng even more.

By now, it was well past noon. Gu Yinglian had been so engrossed in watching the shoot that she forgot to leave.

The male lead left with his agent immediately after filming, not even bothering to say goodbye. Gu Yinglian thought he seemed like a big shot but lacked acting skills—she wondered what connections he had.

Ye Yansheng walked over to the director and said, “This batch of newcomers is a bit hard to work with, Director. You owe me a bonus.”

“Haha, sure, consider it done,” the director chuckled. “You did great. That guy was handpicked by the investor—nothing we could do.”

“My bad. I was too busy admiring the pretty secretary and forgot to check who the male lead was,” Ye Yansheng said, glancing at Gu Yinglian.

Gu Yinglian: Why are you looking at me while saying that? So awkward.

The director was also hungry by now and said to them, “Want to grab lunch together?”

“No thanks. We youngsters will eat on our own. You go find some old folks to dine with,” Ye Yansheng replied bluntly, pulling Gu Yinglian along without hesitation.

The director touched the three remaining strands of hair on his head, lamenting: Am I really that old?

Ye Yansheng naturally draped an arm around Gu Yinglian’s shoulders—so naturally that Gu Yinglian couldn’t bring herself to refuse. They walked together toward the dressing room.

“You stayed behind—were you waiting for me?” Ye Yansheng asked, smiling at her.

“No,” Gu Yinglian said. “I was just observing Sister Ye’s acting skills.”

“Oh? And how did Sister Ye’s acting fare?” Ye Yansheng leaned in closer. “Did it take your breath away?”

Seeing Gu Yinglian approach, Ye Yansheng quickly dodged to the side, then slid a hand down to grasp her slender waist, pushing her against the wall in one smooth motion. A real-life “wall slam” unfolded romantically before them. With a mischievous grin, Ye Yansheng leaned in close to her face and whispered, “Are you looking forward to filming a kissing scene with me?”

Gu Yinglian’s face flushed crimson, her heart pounding wildly. “Y-you’re crazy!” she stammered. How could they possibly film a kissing scene together?

“What do you think about filming a kissing scene? Excited?” Ye Yansheng murmured, her lips drawing nearer as if about to kiss her. Startled, Gu Yinglian hastily turned her face away.

“Hah,” Ye Yansheng chuckled lightly, pinching her cheek, “shy little bunny.”

Just then, someone approached, and Ye Yansheng let go of Gu Yinglian. The two returned to the dressing room to remove their makeup and change clothes.

After changing, Gu Yinglian wanted to head straight home—she had no scenes scheduled for the afternoon. The reason she had no scenes was that Ye Yansheng typically only filmed for half a day, leaving the other half for rest. The director accommodated Ye Yansheng’s schedule, shooting other actors’ scenes in the afternoon.

“Want to grab a meal together? You must be hungry,” Ye Yansheng said, looking at Gu Yinglian, whose bare face made her appear even more innocent, like a student untouched by the world.

Gu Yinglian felt it was dangerous to be around her and politely declined, “No need, I’ll just go home.”

“Hmm?” Ye Yansheng studied her. “Are you saying you don’t need to eat if you go home?”

Gu Yinglian: “…”

Ye Yansheng laughed. “Or should I come to your place? I’ve never been to your home before.”

Gu Yinglian asked, “Where were you planning to eat?”

“Interested now?” Without waiting for an answer, Ye Yansheng pulled her along. “Come on, I’ll take you.”

They arrived at Star Restaurant. Despite its unassuming name, it lived up to its reputation—a dining establishment exclusively for celebrities. From the first to the tenth floor, it boasted a variety of cuisines, an array of teas and pastries, and renowned chefs from all over. Star Restaurant didn’t serve ordinary people; even lesser-known minor celebrities weren’t qualified to dine here.

Only the biggest stars—VIPs—could eat here.

The place was popular among celebrities for simple reasons: the food was excellent, and there were no disturbances. The only catch was the exorbitant price of a single meal.

Gu Yinglian rarely indulged in such extravagant places—she couldn’t afford to. This was her first visit, and she was utterly dazzled. The opulence was overwhelming, a glittering spectacle that would have left her lost had Ye Yansheng not been holding her hand.

“Do you want Western or Chinese food?” Ye Yansheng asked.

“Chinese, I guess…” Gu Yinglian replied, her eyes glazed over by the golden splendor around her, already feeling lightheaded.

Ye Yansheng smiled at her dazed expression. “I love how unspoiled you are.”

“Huh?” Gu Yinglian turned to look at her, finally managing to focus on her face. Ye Yansheng smirked, and Gu Yinglian lowered her head in embarrassment.

They took the elevator to the third floor, where a server led them to a table by the window with a nice view.

Ye Yansheng scanned the menu. “What would you like to eat?”

“Anything is fine. You order,” Gu Yinglian said.

“Are you sure? Maybe take a look at the menu first.”

Hearing this, Gu Yinglian picked up the menu and glanced at it. The dishes were diverse, making it hard to choose—mainly because of the prices. Just looking at them made her lose her appetite. She closed the menu and looked at Ye Yansheng. “Are we splitting the bill?”

“Splitting?” Ye Yansheng laughed. “Why would we split? It’s my treat. Don’t be polite.”

“Then you order. I’m fine with anything,” Gu Yinglian thought to herself that she was just there as company. “Order whatever you like.”

“How about poached chicken?” Ye Yansheng skimmed the menu and glanced at her.

Gu Yinglian frowned slightly but said nothing.

“Alright, then taro-braised pork, dog meat hotpot, snake soup, pork belly chicken, roasted suckling pig…” Ye Yansheng continued flipping through the menu, listing dishes one after another.

Gu Yinglian’s frown deepened.

Waiter: “Would you like all of these…?”

Ye Yansheng glanced at Gu Yinglian and smiled. “No, none of these.”

“Miss Gu Yinglian, what exactly would you like to eat?” Ye Yansheng looked at her with amusement. “You don’t like what I ordered, yet you won’t order anything yourself.”

Gu Yinglian gave an awkward smile. “Something light is fine. Maybe two char siu buns to start?”

“Are you hungry?” Ye Yansheng asked, then turned to the waiter. “Bring two char siu buns first to tide her over. We’ll order the rest slowly.”

Waiter: “Understood.”

Gu Yinglian’s stomach growled loudly with hunger. When the char siu buns arrived, she didn’t hold back, picking one up and eating it right away. Ye Yansheng was still perusing the menu.

By the time Ye Yansheng finished ordering and looked back at Gu Yinglian, she had already eaten both buns. Watching her hold the buns with both hands, nibbling small bites with her cheeks puffed out like a hamster, Ye Yansheng couldn’t help but chuckle. “If you fill up now, you won’t have room for the dishes later.”

Gu Yinglian glanced at her, slightly embarrassed. “I—I was just too hungry. Sorry for the spectacle…”

“It’s fine, make yourself at home,” Ye Yansheng replied, then added, “Has anyone ever told you you’re adorable?”

“?” Gu Yinglian blinked at her in confusion, and Ye Yansheng was utterly charmed. Was this natural airheadedness? Ye Yansheng felt herself falling harder.

Unaware of the other’s thoughts, Gu Yinglian took a sip of tea to quench her thirst, feeling much better afterward.

Though they were just char siu buns, they were far more refined than the ones sold outside, served on a gold-rimmed white porcelain plate that made them look like some high-end Western pastry. The taste was also much better than what she was used to.

When the dishes arrived, they were all presented on matching gold-rimmed porcelain, exuding an air of luxury. Just the sight of the tableware was a feast for the eyes, and the plating of each dish was exquisite.

Gu Yinglian sighed inwardly. A single meal costing tens of thousands—of course, it had to look stunning.

“Try it, see if it’s good,” Ye Yansheng urged generously.

“Mm, thank you.” Gu Yinglian picked up an elegant pair of chopsticks and took a bite of the sweet and sour pork with pineapple in front of her. It was delicious. Just this dish alone could make her eat two more bowls of rice.

She glanced at the spread Ye Yansheng had ordered: sweet and sour pork with pineapple, prawns, steamed sea bass, lotus leaf-wrapped glutinous rice chicken, rice noodle rolls, Chinese cabbage, and winter melon soup. Heh, wasn’t this a bit excessive…

Gu Yinglian couldn’t help but ask, “Isn’t this too much? Can we finish it all?”

“Hm?” Ye Yansheng sipped the winter melon soup. “I’m not making you eat everything.”

“But wouldn’t it be wasteful if we don’t finish?” Gu Yinglian pressed.

“Then eat more,” Ye Yansheng teased.

Gu Yinglian studied her. “Don’t you have dietary restrictions? Don’t you usually watch what you eat?”

Ye Yansheng: “Mm, today’s an exception—for you.”

Gu Yinglian: “I’m truly flattered.”

Ye Yansheng: “What was that?”

Gu Yinglian: “I said I’m flattered.”

Ye Yansheng smirked. “Finally feeling pampered, are we?”

Gu Yinglian: “…”