Huo Yuqi looked at Rong Shu very carefully from across the room. He spent a long time observing her appearance, her posture, and her movements. After watching her for a few moments, he instantly drew a firm conclusion about her character. She was an incredibly delicate, fragile, and soft woman.
She was someone who should be kept in mouth with fear of melting and in hand with fear of breaking[1]the idiom means someone who is so delicate that any minor incident will lead to the person getting effected harshly. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2538323_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2538323_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.
Huo Yuqi began to plan his strategy for dealing with her. He knew that a rough or aggressive approach would never work with someone so fragile. The only right approach for this kind of person was a very patient one. First, a person must coax her and treat her with immense gentleness. Second, a person must make her feel completely safe and secure in her environment. Only after achieving that safety could someone finally make a romantic move toward her.
He reminded himself that no one could afford to be careless or hasty with a woman like Rong Shu. After analyzing every detail of her personality, Huo Yuqi felt a sudden surge of pride. He became highly confident about his ability to capture her heart.
Soon, it was time for Rong Shu and Huo Yuqi to film a scene together. Before they started, Shen Baizhu stepped in. He secretly pulled Rong Shu aside to a quiet corner of the busy set. Shen Baizhu looked at her seriously and instructed her to call for a cut immediately if anything felt wrong. He wanted her to know that her comfort and safety were the highest priorities during this intimate scene. Rong Shu listened to his protective words carefully. She nodded her head in response, appearing completely easy and agreeable with his request.
Once he finished speaking with her, Shen Baizhu walked over to the monitoring area. He chose a seat directly beside the assistant director so he could watch the performance closely.
Su Wanying had also drifted over to the monitors. She moved slowly, carrying an air of tension around her. The assistant director turned his head and took one sharp look at her face and was instantly displeased with what he saw, he clicked his tongue in deep annoyance. He did not hesitate to confront her right then and there.
“What happened to you? Do you have any idea how much it costs this production for every day you can’t film? It’s in your contract. Personal reasons causing delays are billed at two hundred thousand a day. That comes out of your pocket.”
Su Wanying felt a wave of anger and humiliation wash over her. She ground her back teeth together tightly to control her emotions. She forced herself to calm down and said flatly, “I’ll recover quickly.”
The assistant director was new to the seat and had the energy to match. Someone leaned over and murmured something in his ear. He looked over at Shen Baizhu with sudden understanding.
“My apologies, Teacher Shen. I didn’t realize Teacher Su had that kind of connection with you.” Shen Baizhu kept his eyes on the monitor. “No issue. On set we’re colleagues.”
Hearing this cold dismissal, Su Wanying felt a sharp pain in her chest. She felt the backs of her eyes sting with unshed tears of embarrassment.
The assistant director read the tense room clearly enough after that brief interaction. He realized that the two were clearly not that in love with each other. He thought it was terrible that a man would not even step in to defend his own girlfriend when she was being yelled at.
Then something else occurred to him. He looked around at the small group gathered near the monitors. He jokingly asked “Hang on. You two are a couple and you both came to watch a bed scene? What is this, a learning experience?”
He then turned to Shen Baizhu. “Teacher Shen, I need you to step out. No men in the room while we’re filming, please. Give the actress some room.”
Shen Baizhu let out a quiet breath to hide his rising frustration. “Of course.”
He stepped outside.
The assistant director addressed Rong Shu for her blocking. “This scene belongs to your character. You’ve gotten tangled up emotionally with the young commander, you’re carrying guilt over it, and you’re using your body to draw him in. I want the restrained seductiveness of a sheltered young lady who’s made up her mind. Bring that out.”
“Okay,” Rong Shu said, soft and agreeable.
The sound of fabric moving drifted through the closed door. A few quiet exhales. The assistant director called cut twice. Rong Shu’s voice came through apologetic and small.
“Sorry. I’m having trouble settling in. Your hand is very warm.” Just those words.
Shen Baizhu’s hand found the door handle.
The image arrived in his head without asking permission. Huo Yuqi’s thick, clammy hand sliding to Rong Shu’s waist. Her whole body pulling away from the contact, unable to help it.
Then Huo Yuqi’s voice came through the door, pitched low and patient.
“That’s my fault. Let me adjust. When I bring my hand to the back of your neck I’ll slow down, give you time to get used to it.”
“Yuqi-ge, you’re so thoughtful.”
Her voice sounded very bright at the end of the sentence. It carried a cheerful lift that came from somewhere genuine deep inside her. It sounded to Shen Baizhu like she actually liked this man.
Hearing her happiness, Shen Baizhu let go of the door handle. A sudden draft of wind pushed the door open just a tiny crack. He strictly told himself not to look inside the private room. However, his jealousy took over, and he looked through the crack anyway.
Inside, a woman with hair falling to her waist reached out one long finger and pressed it lightly to the man’s throat. His whole body snapped taut in an instant, swallowing hard, coiled like something about to break.
“Jingyü. Jingyü. I’ve wronged you. Let me give you a child. Can we try again?”
Her pale fingers traced down along the line of his stomach and her waist curved forward, her slight frame folding toward him.
The man’s hand came up to her neck instinctively. He did not move any further.
“You haven’t wronged me. I’m the one who fell short. I love you. My lady.”
“I love you too.”
Shen Baizhu watched the performance from the hallway. He admitted to himself that Huo Yuqi was managing the difficult scene quite well. He acknowledged that the actor was playing the part of a perfect gentleman very convincingly.
He reached for the door to pull it shut. However, as he moved, he found himself looking directly into Huo Yuqi’s eyes through the crack. Huo Yuqi was not looking at the director; he was looking straight back at Shen Baizhu.
A slow, knowing smile appeared at the corner of Huo Yuqi’s mouth. It was a look of pure triumph, he then lifted Rong Shu’s hand with great care and pressed his lips to it like it was something precious.
The door handle bent slightly under Shen Baizhu’s grip. His knuckles had gone white.
Something loud and very clear was going off in his head.
Pull her away from him. She’s mine. She is mine.
t/n: This man Huo Yuqi really knows how to stir a hornet’s nest, he is stirring the pot with a ladle 😂😂😂 and “She is mine” Baizhuis spiraling so fast I got secondhand whiplash😏😏
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