After changing the costume, when I came out of the room, the assistant handed over the script to me and said, "Miss Zhao, please read this and prepare for it. Director Li will call you any time to shoot the scene."
I nodded my head.
Then I took the script from her hands and started reading it. Deep inside my Mr. Heart, I was waiting for him to arrive, but there was no chance of him coming. Maybe he got very busy.
I finished reading the script, and then Director Li arrived and said, "Okay, done with the preparation. Come and start shooting for the scene we are preparing."
I immediately went to the spot where our scene was supposed to be shot, and then suddenly an unfamiliar voice came to my ears saying, "Miss Zhao, are you ready for the scene?"
I turned around and saw him. Here he was—the second lead, I mean a new character in the story who was added to spice up the ongoing track. I forced a smile on my face and said, "Yes."
"I am Ji Juan," he said while smiling and extending his hand toward me.
I smiled and said, "I am Zhao Shiza," but I didn't shake hands with him.
He smiled and said, "You are a very introverted and shy person, isn't it?"
"No," I said straight to him.
He smiled again and said, "Then why didn't you shake hands with me?"
"Actually… I was… yes, my hands are dirty right now, so I have to sanitize them first. That's why. It's nothing against you. Sorry if you got it wrong in any way. I don't have any intention to hurt your feelings," I said.
"It's okay, it's totally alright, Miss Zhao. I was just asking," he said.
Looks like he fell for my foolish excuse for not shaking hands with him.
"You are a newcomer in this industry, right?" he asked me.
I nodded my head.
"I got it. That's why you are hesitating this much and looking a little scared. But don't worry, I'll help you. If you need anything, you can reach out to me," he said.
I nodded and smiled forcefully.
He took out his phone from his pocket, opened the WeChat scanner, and showed the screen to me. I got it—he wanted me to add him on WeChat.
I smiled and said, "I'll add you later. First, let's prepare ourselves for the scene. Then we'll do this later."
He nodded while smiling and put his phone back into his pocket.
We both started revising our lines for the scene. While preparing, I kept looking at my phone screen again and again, waiting for his message to arrive, but there was no message till now.
Then Director Li called us to shoot the scene.
We immediately went there.
The scene was about me fainting due to a big fight with my male lead—of course, Yuan's character. Then suddenly comes the entry of this new character, who is my high school friend. He came to Shanghai after studying in Chongqing for four years in an architecture company and is now opening his own architectural firm in Shanghai.
He comes in that scene and holds me before I hit the floor.
"Okay, ready… and action," Director Li said.
Everything was going exactly as we prepared. I was about to faint, and he caught me before I hit the ground.
Then suddenly, at that exact moment when he was holding me, a strong voice came—
"What's going on here?"
I immediately opened my eyes and stood up, breaking the scene.
Yuan had finally arrived.
He immediately went to Director Li and asked, "What's going on here, Mr. Li?"
"Mr. Xu, you have arrived. Actually, we just cast this actor to spice up the romance between our lead couple in the drama," Director Li said, hinting toward us.
"But I wasn't informed about this earlier," Yuan said.
"Actually, we just decided it," Director Li replied.
Yuan exhaled sharply and said, "Miss Zhao is new to this entertainment industry. She doesn't feel comfortable with others so easily. She needs time to adjust herself."
"I know, Mr. Xu, but it's just a few scenes together. See, Miss Zhao looks quite okay with it," Director Li said, pointing toward me, where I was standing with Ji Juan.
Yuan looked at me standing there with Ji Juan.
Then he said to Director Li, "Call me when it's time for my scene. I'm going to change my costume and read the script for the next scene."
He went straight to his makeup room without looking back at me.
He didn't even wait to hear Director Li's reply. Director Li was still mid-sentence when Yuan had already gone.
Director Li looked at both of us and said, "The scene was good. We don't need another take. Change your costumes and get ready for the next scene. We'll take a forty-minute break."
Everyone on the set sighed in relief after hearing the word "break."
Some went to the cafeteria, some ordered takeout, but I just stood there, staring at the closed door of his room.
Then Ji Juan asked, "Wanna go for lunch with me? This way we can know each other better and develop some understanding."
"Is it really needed?" I asked directly.
He smiled. "Miss Zhao, we're playing high school friends. The characters need bonding and understanding in front of the camera."
"We are already working on it," I said.
"Yes, but for the scenes to come out perfectly, we need to know each other better. That's how it works," he replied.
I smiled and said, "Mr. Ji Juan, we are only shooting scenes together. Why so much effort?"
"Miss Zhao, that's why you are a newcomer. You don't understand these things yet," he said.
I smiled and said, "If Director Li says there's a problem in our scenes and that we need to know each other better, then I'll owe you a meal. But right now, it doesn't seem like that. So please excuse me."
I went straight toward Yuan's room.
Maybe I was a little harsh with Ji Juan, but I was already in shock. Yuan came and didn't even look at me properly. I had just been discharged from the hospital, and he went straight to his makeup room without even glancing at me.
My only focus now was my suspicious boyfriend.
I reached outside his makeup room and knocked twice.
"Hmmm," he replied.
His usual "hmm."
I changed my voice and said, "Mr. Xu Yuan, I'm here to give you some scripts for the next scene."
No answer.
I pressed my ear to the door, trying to hear his footsteps. It was completely silent.
Then I heard movement inside.
I closed my eyes and murmured, "Yuan, open the door… please."
I was leaning against the door when suddenly it opened.
My eyes were still closed, and I fell straight into his arms.
He caught me instantly.
"What a mischievous, silly brat," he said.
I opened my eyes. "You opened it."
He exhaled sharply. "Of course I did. Why are you sticking to the door like that? What if I hadn't caught you?"
I smiled. "I know you would. You always will. I choose to fall into your hands."
He smiled softly. "Why do you trust me so blindly?"
"Because trust means Yuan, and Yuan means trust. My whole world of trust lies inside you," I said.
"What if I break your trust one day?" he asked.
I smiled again. "You never will. I know."
"You are impossible," he said shyly.
I stood properly and said, "Yes… impossibly in love with you," smiling shamelessly...