Su Youtian officially began her life on set. Every morning when she arrived at the filming location, makeup artists would swarm around her and cake her face with a thick layer of powder.
She felt like her pores were suffocating.
Filming was not as difficult as she had imagined. It was not because her acting was good, but because the director’s standards were low. She only needed to recite her lines in front of the camera. Besides, she was only the fourth female lead and did not have much screen time, so the director mostly let things slide.
After once again stiffly reciting her lines in front of the camera, Su Youtian accepted the water Xiao Hu handed her and sat in the shade, gulping down a huge mouthful.
In the distance, Shi Feng, the actor playing the male lead, was dressed in leather. Yes, tight leather clothes and leather pants, sitting astride a sidecar motorcycle. Several actresses stood beside him, pretending to listen to the director explain the scene while secretly sneaking glances at his face.
A smile hung at the corner of Shi Feng’s lips. He wore sunglasses the size of fists, and whenever he moved slightly, they reflected flashes of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
As if noticing Su Youtian’s gaze, he turned around and flashed her a row of dazzling white teeth.
Su Youtian was speechless. She did not know if Shi Feng’s eyes had been smeared with mung bean oil, but for some reason he had taken a liking to her. Heaven knew that the other day she had only rolled her eyes at his outfit, yet he interpreted it as her pretending to be disdainful and playing hard to get in order to attract his attention.
Was she blind or something? She genuinely thought the male lead’s outfit was an assault on the eyes, okay?!
Shi Feng flicked his leather jacket dramatically with both hands and swaggered over in his long boots.
Su Youtian scooted backward, glaring at him in disgust.
“What are you here for?”
Shi Feng suddenly adopted a serious expression and crouched halfway down.
“Did you steal something from me?”
Su Youtian jumped in shock. Steal something? Since when had she stolen anything?
Was he trying to scam her? Looking for death, huh?
She frowned impatiently.
“No!”
Shi Feng slowly placed a hand over his chest and said in surprise:
“You did. You stole my heart…”
Su Youtian: “…….”
Was that supposed to be a joke? Why did she suddenly feel so cold?
Disgusted, Su Youtian moved farther away from him, but Shi Feng scooted closer like a giant dog.
“Stop backing away. I know you actually want to throw yourself into my arms right now. Sheng Xia, wouldn’t it be better to honestly face your feelings?”
Su Youtian replied, “I just want to pin you to the ground and rub you against it.”
Shi Feng sat beside her, one hand resting on his knee, deliberately presenting his perfect profile to her.
“You’re always saying the opposite of what you mean. Sigh, is it really that hard to admit you like me, just like those girls do?”
Su Youtian narrowed one eye and glanced over. The actresses immediately looked away awkwardly and coughed before turning around.
Shi Feng instantly lifted his chin smugly.
Su Youtian truly could not understand it. Sure, he was somewhat handsome, but he was not even as good-looking as Shen Haolin, much less Yuan Wei. Had these girls never seen attractive men before?
If Yuan Wei ever came to this production crew, wouldn’t they all drool over him?
Speechless, she sighed and dusted off her butt before standing up to leave.
“You should stay here and continue admiring yourself.”
Shi Feng was startled for a moment, instinctively reaching out to grab Su Youtian.
Unexpectedly, someone suddenly darted out from the side and slammed hard into his shoulder with a bang.
Shi Feng staggered, then frowned and looked over. Beside him stood an extra actor wrapped up from head to toe, holding a prop.
His temper flared instantly. “Who the hell are you?!”
The extra actor was tall and broad, and even while holding the oversized prop, one eye was still visible as he looked down at him.
The look sent a chill down Shi Feng’s spine, and he subconsciously took a step back. Then he thought again, why should a leading actor be afraid of some extra?
He pulled off his sunglasses and reached out to shove the man.
Unexpectedly, before he even touched him, a sharp pain shot through his palm.
Shi Feng hissed and looked up, only to realize he had pressed directly onto the spikes of the prop mace.
Why the hell would an anti-Japanese war drama use a spiked mace?!
For the first time ever, he found himself complaining about the show itself.
Shi Feng shook his hand, growing angrier the more he thought about it. Just as he was about to raise his fist, he suddenly felt a cold breath brush past his ear.
“Stay away from her.”
Shi Feng froze. It felt as if a venomous snake had flicked its tongue beside his ear. He shuddered violently, and despite the scorching weather, cold sweat instantly drenched his back.
By the time he gritted his teeth and came back to his senses, the mysterious man had already disappeared.
Shi Feng stomped his foot in frustration.
“Damn it! What the hell was that?!”
Su Youtian had no idea what had happened over there. Dazed and muddle-headed like a little turtle, she let the director push her around the set in circles.
That evening, Shen Haolin came to pick her up from the filming set.
Over the past few days, whenever Shen Haolin had free time, he would come pick up Su Youtian. Perhaps he thought that since she had accepted his help, she had indirectly accepted his feelings as well.
As a result, his hints became increasingly obvious, and his actions more and more forward, as though he desperately wanted Su Youtian to be so moved that she would immediately throw herself into his arms.
Shen Haolin stepped out of the car with his long legs, dressed in a white suit. Walking toward them against the light, he attracted quite a few gazes.
The moment Su Youtian saw him, she thought about all these days of pretending and playing along, and her scalp immediately went numb.
Sigh, when will this plotline finally end?
Just as she was about to stand up, she suddenly felt someone watching her.
But when she turned around, she saw nothing unusual.
Puzzled, she asked the system, “System, can you scan whether someone’s been staring at me the whole time?”
System: 【Considering your terrible attitude, I am still maintaining silence.】
Su Youtian was speechless. “You’re still holding a grudge over that?!”
Shen Haolin brought Su Youtian into the car and then took her out for dinner.
The whole way there, Su Youtian suffered miserably.
She had to play hard to get with Shen Haolin, not too distant but not too close either, making him willingly provide resources to pave the way for her career. At the same time, she also had to make him understand that the two of them were impossible, and that she only saw him as a friend now.
By the end of the evening, Su Youtian felt like she had lost eighty percent of her brain cells.
“I was originally supposed to be a pure and innocent white lotus. Why am I doing the work of a manipulative green tea bitch? When will these days finally end…”
In the novel, she had only mentioned that Shen Haolin was a backup love interest. Who would have thought he’d be this difficult to deal with? She lacked Sheng Xia’s capabilities, yet she had still taken on Sheng Xia’s role.
Shen Haolin escorted Su Youtian downstairs. Under the streetlights, even the upward tilt of his eyes seemed softened into gentleness.
“Sheng Xia… after all this time, I think I’ve made myself very clear. I believe you know what I want to say.”
Alarm bells immediately rang in Su Youtian’s head.
It’s coming! It’s happening!
He’s about to confess!
Su Youtian hurriedly said, “No! I don’t know!”
Shen Haolin pressed his lips together. “Do you really want me to say it outright?” He took a deep breath. “I like…”
Su Youtian quickly interrupted, “Can I not listen?”
Shen Haolin grabbed her wrist, stubborn determination written all over his face. “You have to hear me out!”
Su Youtian jumped in fright. “H-hear what?”
Shen Haolin paused. The expression on his face softened slightly, but he still held tightly onto her hand.
“Stop pretending not to understand. I sincerely want to be with you. Why won’t you accept me?”
Su Youtian pondered for a moment. “Maybe what I feel for you is only the comradeship forged through flying bullets and artillery fire. We’re fated to meet but not destined to be together.”
We’re both cannon fodder characters with the same attributes, how are we supposed to date?
Shen Haolin: “……”
He assumed Su Youtian had become muddled from filming too much, so he ignored that remark.
“If you stay with me, I can help you get resources, give you the luxurious life you’ve never had, and spoil you like a princess. Accept my confession, okay?”
Su Youtian shook her head so hard it almost left afterimages.
Shen Haolin’s expression changed. “Why won’t you accept me? What’s wrong with me? Tell me, and I’ll change, alright?”
Su Youtian frowned awkwardly. “There’s nothing wrong with you, it’s just that we’re not suitable for each other.”
Shen Haolin refused to believe it. He had always been extremely confident in himself. In the past, girls had long since melted into his arms under his sugar-coated offensives.
Yet Sheng Xia had rejected him again and again.
Could it really be that she didn’t care about those things at all?
Or could it be… that there was already someone in her heart?
A face suddenly flashed through his mind. Shen Haolin ground his teeth, and his expression instantly twisted with fury.
“Are you still thinking about your ex-boyfriend?”
Su Youtian was dumbfounded. “Huh?”
It seemed Shen Haolin had finally found a reason for her rejection. Furious to the point of gnashing his teeth, he released her arm, his eyes reddening at the corners.
“I knew it, I knew you still can’t forget that pretty boy! What’s so good about him that you keep rejecting me over and over for his sake?!”
Su Youtian stammered, “N-no, that’s not…”
How did the topic even veer in this direction? This guy’s imagination was even wilder than hers.
Shen Haolin waved his hand. “No need to explain. I know exactly what you’re thinking. Isn’t he just a little more handsome?! Why are you still hung up on him?”
Su Youtian forced a smile. “You’re overthinking it…”
Shen Haolin took a deep breath and let out a cold sneer. “Other than having a prettier face, how is he better than me? Can he get you into the entertainment industry? Can he give you resources? That punk just got out of prison and still thinks he can steal a woman from me, he really doesn’t know his place!”
Su Youtian grew unhappy. “Yuan Wei is a good person.”
Shen Haolin turned his head sharply, frowning. “And you’re still speaking up for that useless loser?!”
Su Youtian took a deep breath, just about to argue back when the system suddenly popped up:
【Host, please pay attention. Don’t break character!】
Su Youtian gritted her teeth. “If you just stay silent right now, that’ll already be enough!”
Shen Haolin was furious and began speaking recklessly.
“He has nothing at all. I could kick him into the water like a stray dog. Some time ago, I made him lose his job. He’s probably wandering the streets right now, sleeping who knows where!”
The moment Su Youtian heard that, her heart ached.
She had deliberately stopped paying attention to Yuan Wei’s situation. Although she knew he would eventually have to go through this hardship, hearing it with her own ears still made her feel distressed.
She wondered whether he was still wandering the streets now, or whether he had already left City A.
Su Youtian hoped it was the second possibility. At the very least, he could go to City B, find his father, become a rich second-generation heir, and return three years later to crush all these little bitches.
Seeing her flushed face, Shen Haolin grinned viciously. “What, your heart aches for him now? Then why don’t you feel sorry for me? I’ve done so much for you, found resources for you, yet you’ve never once truly looked at me!”
Su Youtian shouted, “I can’t take this anymore! It’s just some ridiculous anti-Japanese war drama, what’s there to be proud of?! Fine, I just don’t like you! Yuan Wei is more handsome than you! The moment he appears, my panties drop. The moment he smiles, I drool. He’s more considerate too, he even cooks for me himself. Can you do that? Most importantly, he has more backbone than you. He never gives up hope because of failure. In my heart, he’s the best!”
Shen Haolin’s lips moved slightly, then he suddenly raised his hand.
Su Youtian shrank back, but no pain came. She secretly peeked at him from the corner of her eye, only to discover Shen Haolin’s eyes were red as he lowered his head and ran away.
Su Youtian: “……”
Had she… gone a little too far?
Were her words a bit too harsh?
But what Shen Haolin did was way too much too!
Still, he cried… should she comfort him a little?
No, no, no. Since when did she become some saintly heroine?
But if she didn’t comfort him, why did she feel so guilty?
Su Youtian bit her lip and had just poked her head out to look when her vision suddenly darkened. A tall figure abruptly enveloped her. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, even her heartbeat seemed to stop.
In the dead of night, someone suddenly grabbed her in an embrace. She was so frightened her soul nearly flew out of her body!
Su Youtian widened her eyes and belatedly tried to scream, but then a gentle voice sounded beside her ear.
“It’s me.”
The voice was soft and slow, warm breaths brushing lightly against the side of her ear. She instantly recognized who it was, and in the very next second, her face uncontrollably flushed red.
As though he thought her silence meant she had been frightened, the owner of the voice sounded slightly helpless.
“It’s me, Yuan Wei.”
After saying that, Yuan Wei hugged her even tighter, his breathing trembling.
“You scared me to death. I thought he was going to hurt you.”
Su Youtian’s face was pressed against Yuan Wei’s chest by his hand. Beside her ears was the violent pounding of his heartbeat. His familiar scent filled her nose. Her own heart hammered wildly, but she had no idea what to say.
Yuan Wei gently patted her back, a faint trace of delight in his voice.
“Luckily you’re okay… Sheng Xia, I’m really happy.”
Happy?
Happy about what?
In a flash, Su Youtian suddenly remembered what she had just said to Shen Haolin.
Su Youtian: “……”
“System… do you think he misunderstood?”
【I’ve decided to remain silent… He heard your heartfelt confession and is deeply moved right now. Host, make good use of this opportunity.】
“I-I confessed? Absolutely not!”
【I’ve decided to remain silent… You did. The whole apartment complex heard it.】
Sure enough, the moment she looked up, several windows upstairs were open. Some people were applauding while watching the excitement, and others were whistling and cheering.
Su Youtian wanted to cry but had no tears. “System, can you open a space-time crack for me to crawl into?”
【I’ve decided to remain silent… That exceeds my functional capabilities. You can find a crack in the ground to crawl into instead.】
Su Youtian sniffled, suddenly wanting to die.