Chapter 14
Zong Mo went to the film set for work, and of course, Ruan Chi had to follow along to supervise.
An Lan, having guessed his arrival in advance from Ruan Chi’s message asking about Lu Bo’s flight, took it well.
Little Wan, however, knew nothing. He would occasionally glance curiously at the rearview mirror.
Wait a minute.
This person seems to be touching his boss.
He also discovered with horror that Sister An Lan was turning a blind eye to it.
Zong Mo only found out at the film set that they were shooting the kiss scene today. What a coincidence. He didn’t know if Ruan Chi had foreseen it or if he had used his sponsor’s divine powers.
Whatever the case, he now had to film a kiss scene with someone else right in front of Ruan Chi.
Even if it was a forced perspective shot and not a real kiss, physical contact was inevitable.
He swallowed and looked at the composed Ruan Chi.
This kiss scene actually had some violent elements.
He had to roughly grab the female lead’s arm, shove her onto the bed, and pin her wrists like a vise.
And Yin Qiao was pregnant.
This time, Yin Qiao used her stunt double for the first time.
Knowing that he would be pushing down a stunt double, Zong Mo felt slightly relieved. He listened as Director Yang explained the scene to him.
Ruan Chi was also listening and observing attentively from the side.
Director Yang’s explanation of the scene was vivid and expressive, fully utilizing body language. He knelt on the bed, his body leaning low, his left hand extending forward, using one large hand to clamp down on the female lead’s two slender wrists.
The cameras were placed on the male lead’s left side, which was blocked by his arm, as well as at the head and foot of the bed. It was difficult to see the female lead’s face from any angle.
Close-ups of the female lead’s face would be filmed separately later.
Zong Mo’s free right hand was, naturally, for lifting the female lead’s skirt. The camera at the foot of the bed was responsible for capturing that half of a fair leg.
Zong Mo marveled at how Director Yang had truly maximized the hazy, indistinct feeling.
Just watching Director Yang’s solo demonstration, one could imagine that the final result would be very lewd.
Zong Mo quickly determined that the kiss scene being moved to today was indeed Ruan Chi exercising his sponsor’s divine powers.
Ruan Chi called out, “Old Yang.”
Zong Mo: ?
…Did these two know each other all along?
It was probably only after seeing the situation on set that Ruan Chi came up with the following bizarre idea.
“I want to be the double,” he said.
Director Yang asked with a strange expression, “…Who are you doubling for?”
“The female lead, of course. Who else could I double for?”
Director Yang silently looked the man before him up and down, suspecting that CEO Ruan had been possessed by some seductive fox demon.
Ruan Chi smiled nonchalantly and said, “I think it will be very interesting.”
Zong Mo hadn’t recovered from his shock yet, thinking Ruan Chi was joking.
He was tall, 188 cm. The female lead, Yin Qiao, was also tall, 175 cm. Because the two giant-sized protagonists weren’t that different in height and had youthful-looking faces, they looked quite convincing as high school students.
But even if the female lead was tall, she was still a girl with a slender frame. No matter how thin Ruan Chi was, he was still a 185 cm tall man.
Zong Mo thought it was a bad idea, but he had no say in the matter.
Director Yang said, “Fine. If you want to try, then try.”
Even if it didn’t work out, it could still be a way to train Zong Mo’s acting skills.
As for wasting film and the staff’s time, it didn’t matter. The one thing CEO Ruan was never afraid of in his life was being wasteful.
Zong Mo should have known long ago that a CEO worth over ten billion who was willing to wear a skirt would do even more things he couldn’t even dream of.
But at this moment, Zong Mo was completely oblivious, even feeling an embarrassment for Ruan Chi that didn’t exist in Ruan Chi’s own dictionary.
The white dress was a spring-style long-sleeved one, with a hem that reached the ankles and a loose, straight-cut silhouette. Ruan Chi changed into one that was two sizes larger. Just looking at his back, he could indeed fool some people.
Plus, there was the center-parted, long, straight black wig.
The female lead’s overall impression was one of purity and naturalness, so she didn’t have the heavy bangs popular among high school girls. Thanks to that, Ruan Chi’s misty eyes and high-bridged nose were all exposed.
He had the right vibe. Zong Mo actually felt a little like whistling.
Director Yang said with a straight face, “Let’s start shooting.”
In his thirties, he had already seen countless storms.
Zong Mo had never treated Ruan Chi so roughly before.
Firstly, because of his status, how would he dare to roughly pull and drag his sponsor? Secondly, because of his personality, which was inherently gentle and patient.
He had always been very obedient, and Ruan Chi had never treated him forcefully either, except for the forced kiss in the hallway last night.
He had to say, it was quite thrilling.
Ruan Chi waited quietly for him to make a move. That gaze of his was a hundred thousand miles away from the female lead’s purity.
Lewd, and full of mockery and ridicule.
Fuck!
He was the one cross-dressing for the role, yet he was putting on the air of someone watching a good show.
He, Zong Mo, the fiercest golden canary in history, was now going to give his sponsor a good show!!
Zong Mo felt that Ruan Chi was somewhat excited.
A casual pull and he fell with too much cooperation, making the poor-quality iron bed frame clang loudly.
He used his own hands as shackles, pinning both of Ruan Chi’s wrists above his head. His movements were a bit clumsy, but the kiss that followed as he leaned down was exceptionally skilled.
As if he had already practiced it a thousand times in his mind.
Well, Yu Chi definitely practiced it in his mind, but Zong Mo hadn’t. Anyway, the resulting effect wasn’t much different.
The set, with more than twenty people, was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The two on the bed were kissing so realistically that no post-production sound effects would be needed.
The blush-inducing, heart-pounding, ambiguous atmosphere couldn’t be contained in the small room and quickly spread out.
In the crowd, Director Yang silently took a drag from his cigarette.
The most shocked person present was undoubtedly the assistant, Little Wan. Just this morning, he had seen Ruan Chi walk out of Zong Mo’s room.
He finally understood why the non-disclosure agreement he had signed had such a huge penalty fee for the clause about Zong Mo’s private life.
A few minutes later, Zong Mo’s hand, which was about to lift the skirt, suddenly froze.
His lower abdomen, hovering over Ruan Chi’s waist, seemed to have been poked by something.
?
His wrists were held and couldn’t move, so Ruan Chi lifted his waist upwards.
Then he gently, almost imperceptibly, rubbed against him.
Zong Mo: ?
He wanted to end this scene quickly. He hastily lifted the hem of the skirt, just needing to get it above the knees.
The female lead, feeling the coolness on her leg, was supposed to slap him at this moment, stopping his sinful hand.
But his sinful hand had been still for three seconds, and Ruan Chi’s slap still hadn’t come.
Zong Mo: …
“Cut!”
Zong Mo hastily released his mouth and saw the intoxicated person before him.
Eyes moist, breathing rapid.
He suspected he didn’t look much better himself.
No wonder Ruan Chi wanted to act out a kiss scene with him in front of so many cameras today. The attempt in the hallway last night must have flipped some switch for a special kink!
However, Ruan Chi was wearing a loose-fitting long dress, which wouldn’t show any awkwardness.
But he, Zong Mo, was only wearing a thin pair of school uniform pants.
Zong Mo’s face was burning hot. He got up, picked up the school uniform jacket he had thrown on the floor, and hastily used it to cover his embarrassment.
Any adult could see what part of him was in an awkward situation.
However, this improvisation was also very natural and fit the direction of the plot.
He covered his thighs with the school uniform, sitting stiffly on the edge of the bed, not daring to look at the person behind him at all.
Like a teenager who, overcome with shame, had seen the error of his ways and returned to the right path.
No trace of acting.
Because it wasn’t acting at all!
This was a fucking filming accident. A real, accident.
Director Yang felt that Yu Chi’s reaction was also reasonable, but it didn’t fit the tragic direction of the [censored] plot. It could be kept as a behind-the-scenes blooper.
He said to the people in the small house, “You all take a half-hour break. We’ll reshoot it in a bit.”
Zong Mo: ?
Again?
Director Yang: “It was a good take. We just need to add that slap.”
Zong Mo: …Okay, good. We don’t have to start from the beginning.
“Take a break,” Director Yang said considerately. “Everyone, take a half-hour break. Dismissed.”
When only the two of them were left, Zong Mo finally turned his head to look back resentfully.
“Why didn’t you hit me?”
And, and you were rubbing all over the place!!
“Why would I hit you?” Ruan Chi said frankly. “It was great.”
Zong Mo: …
“Didn’t you also listen to Director Yang explain the scene? When I lift the skirt, you’re supposed to give me a slap.”
Ruan Chi tilted his head in confusion. “After kissing like that, to still refuse? Too fake.”
Zong Mo: “…Because the protagonist is a minor!”
Ruan Chi: “Heh.”
For the next take of the slap, Ruan Chi really hit him. A loud smack echoed, no sound effects needed at all.
“Cut!” This time, Director Yang walked generously into the room. “Good, that’s a wrap.”
Zong Mo, shocked, covered his face. Ruan Chi narrowed his eyes and curled his lips, asking, “Satisfied now?”
Although they got it in one take, Director Yang was rather helpless. He asked, “Zong Mo, why didn’t you dodge?”
Zong Mo frowned. “The script didn’t say I had to dodge, did it?”
Wouldn’t dodging have resulted in an NG?
“Even though it was a real slap, the effect on camera was just average.” Director Yang was still not quite satisfied. He looked at his face, clicked his tongue a few times, and added, “Next time, remember to dodge in the direction the slap is coming from. It’ll look like a hard slap and have a better effect, and it won’t hurt.”
Zong Mo: …He got it!
So, in TV dramas, when an actor’s head whips to the side from a slap, they’re actually dodging themselves?
Zong Mo was silent for a moment.
Well, he was currently pretending to be the main shou with two years of acting experience. These things were probably common knowledge for people in the industry. He couldn’t blame Director Yang for not reminding him.
Having finished his stand-in work for the day, Ruan Chi found acting interesting, opening the door to a new world. After reading the script in his spare time, he demanded to continue acting with Zong Mo in the deserted cabin at night.
“Practice,” Ruan Chi said, referring to the eye-acting scene with Lu Bo.
Zong Mo said helplessly, “We’ve already filmed that scene. We don’t need to practice.”
Ruan Chi argued illogically, “Then we’ll review.”
Zong Mo: …?
He had no other choice but to sacrifice his sleep to accompany his sponsor.
This scene was actually very simple, just a shared glance and one line, “Little Chi.” The messy stuff that followed was all ad-libbed by Lu Bo on the spot. Of course, Ruan Chi wouldn’t know that.
“Little Mo,” Ruan Chi called out.
Zong Mo: ?
“You got the line wrong.”
“Am I supposed to call you Little Chi?”
“…Little Mo is fine.”
Ruan Chi called out again, “Little Mo.”
Zong Mo took the cigarette out of his mouth and looked over.
Ruan Chi rushed into the room, snatched his cigarette, didn’t extinguish it, but instead put it in his own mouth.
He casually blew out two smoke rings, looking like he was enjoying it.
Zong Mo: ?
As the male lead, he could confirm that there was absolutely no cigarette-snatching part in the script, let alone the other scenes that followed.
Ruan Chi smiled, his tone light and flirtatious. “Don’t recognize me?”
Zong Mo: …
He refused to speak, but Ruan Chi could continue acting.
Ruan Chi smoked for a bit, found it boring, threw the cigarette down, and even stomped on it a couple of times, as if he were crushing the stubborn young man.
“I’m your big brother, Little Mo.”
Unlike Lu Bo, there was not a hint of gentleness in his voice; it was even a little cold.
Zong Mo came up with a very fitting line on the spot, “The hell you are! I don’t have a big brother! You liar!”
“Little Mo, why are you so disobedient? Hmm?”
Ruan Chi wasn’t angry, but he pinched the back of his neck with one hand and lifted his chin with the other, forcing him to look up.
His tone grew more and more impatient. “Call me big brother. Hurry up.”
Author’s Note:
Zong Mo: I’m finally starting to realize there’s something wrong with my sponsor.
