CHAPTER 112

Under the pressure of Mu Qingwu, Xin Qian informed Tang Ruoyao of her whereabouts.

Mu Qingwu's voice suddenly increased by an octave, "Where did she go?!"

Xin Qian almost disappeared into the ground, lowering her head even further and speaking even more softly, "She went to Qin Yinong's dressing room."

"She—" Mu Qingwu paced heavily in place, her anger mounting. She brushed her sleeves and said, "I'm going to find her right now!"

The door to Qin Yinong's dressing room couldn't be knocked on casually. After leaving Tang Ruoyao's room, Mu Qingwu composed herself and walked leisurely in that direction. Along the way, she became more cautious and casually stopped a passing crew member, asking, "Excuse me, have you seen Tang Ruoyao? I'm her manager."

The crew member glanced around and didn't see anyone, casually answering, "She might be in Senior Qin's dressing room. You can go and check."

Mu Qingwu's vision went dark.

The crew member looked at her strangely.

Mu Qingwu snapped back to reality and said, "It's nothing, thank you."

The crew member walked away.

Mu Qingwu leaned against a nearby prop for a moment, catching her breath.

She had repeatedly advised Tang Ruoyao not to get involved with Qin Yinong, but now, it seemed that everyone on set knew they were together. Ignoring her words, Mu Qingwu was now certain that Tang Ruoyao's initial obedience under her was all an act!

When Tang Ruoyao came out, she immediately understood Mu Qingwu's expression at the door and greeted her with a forced smile, "Sister Mu, why did you come over?"

Mu Qingwu maintained a straight face and replied, "You're quite carefree, aren't you?"

Tang Ruoyao blinked, "Why do you say that?"

Mu Qingwu snorted and turned around, walking quickly. Tang Ruoyao hurriedly caught up.

Back in their dressing room, Tang Ruoyao motioned for Xin Qian to watch the door. Xin Qian stepped aside.

Tang Ruoyao patted Mu Qingwu's shoulder, guiding her to sit on the couch. She fetched water and massaged her shoulders, showing an unusual amount of attentiveness. Mu Qingwu brushed off the hand on her shoulder and said, "Spare me the act and get to the point."

Tang Ruoyao took a seat across from her.

Mu Qingwu furrowed her brows and went straight to the point, "What's going on? Didn't I tell you to have less private contact with her?"

Tang Ruoyao held the water cup in her hands, remaining silent.

Mu Qingwu impatiently said, "Speak up."

Tang Ruoyao sighed and said, "It's a long story."

"Then make it short."

"Okay." Tang Ruoyao met Mu Qingwu's gaze directly and dropped a bombshell, "I'm pursuing her."

Mu Qingwu's jaw dropped to the floor.

"Oh my Buddha." She closed her eyes and recited a few Buddhist mantras, took two deep breaths, and asked softly, "You didn't say anything just now, right?" It must have been her imagination.

Tang Ruoyao didn't give her a chance to deceive herself and spoke frankly again, "You didn't hear wrong. I'm pursuing her." Pausing for a moment, she earnestly added, "It's a pursuit of love. I love her."

"... " Mu Qingwu's lips trembled, completely losing the ability to speak.

Ten minutes later.

Mu Qingwu recovered from the verge of a brain hemorrhage and said with an unpleasant expression, "Do you even know what you're saying?"

"I know." Tang Ruoyao replied calmly.

She had considered making excuses to deceive Mu Qingwu, but ultimately decided to be honest. She didn't feel ashamed of liking Qin Yinong. Besides, her feelings were so obvious that there would be more involvement with Qin Yinong in the future. She could hide it for a while, but not indefinitely.

Mu Qingwu wasn't someone who only got angry. The bigger the situation that hit her, the faster she would calm down. She asked, "What does she think?"

She needed to prepare a PR plan in advance for the future.

"She likes me, but she has concerns, so she hasn't agreed to be with me."

"She hasn't agree with you?" Mu Qingwu's protective instinct kicked in, feeling indignant on Tang Ruoyao's behalf. "No, why wouldn't she agree with you? What's wrong with you? I even thought she wasnt good enough for you!"

Tang Ruoyao couldn't help but smile and cry at the same time.

Mu Qingwu cleared her throat and said seriously, "Do you really understand her?"

Tang Ruoyao knew what she was worried about and said, "I know you have concerns about her reputation, but I can assure you that all the rumors outside are false. She has never been in a romantic relationship before."

Mu Qingwu raised an eyebrow, "There haven't been rumors about her being in a relationship outside, only about her sleeping with lovers."

Tang Ruoyao thought to herself: After all these years, she only slept with one lover, and that's me.

"Anyway," Tang Ruoyao said, "I have a reliable source of information. She's very innocent, not like what you all think."

Mu Qingwu rolled her eyes.

The word "innocent" applied to the charming and passionate Qin Yinong made Mu Qingwu shudder. Women in love have a filter that's a foot thick. She could understand Tang Ruoyao, but she also had to knock some sense into her. "Do you insist on being with her?"

Tang Ruoyao nodded solemnly, "Yes."

Mu Qingwu sneered, "Fine. I'll give you two choices. One, you quickly get rid of your absurd thoughts, finish filming, and have nothing to do with her. Two, I can't be your manager anymore. You can apply to the company for a new manager."

Mu Qingwu clapped her hands and stood up.

"Sister Mu..." Tang Ruoyao's mind went blank, and she instinctively grabbed the sleeve of her suit.Mu Qingwu gently untangled Tang Ruoyao's fingers one by one, looking down at her with unfamiliar eyes. "I hate artists who don't listen. Since you insist on going your own way, don't blame me for not showing any mercy."

"Sister Mu!"

Mu Qingwu left her with a resolute back.

Tang Ruoyao reached out her hand in mid-air, opened her mouth, but ultimately couldn't say the words to stop her.

She slumped back onto the couch, her mind in a mess.

Mu Qingwu was a great and resourceful manager. Not only was she a support in her work, but she also had a gentle personality. Losing such a manager was no different from losing one of her wings at this stage of Tang Ruoyao's career.

What should she do?

Apart from Mu Qingwu, who else in the company could be of use? Tang Ruoyao forced herself to calm down and analyzed the situation rationally.

On the other hand, Mu Qingwu walked a long way and looked back.

Mu Qingwu: "..."

Tang Ruoyao didn't chase after her?!

She didn't really want to resign and leave her. it was just a relationship. Moreover, they hadn't even started a relationship. No wonder there's a saying that goes, "The one on top cares, while the one on the bottom doesn't." They're all a bunch of ungrateful people!

Tang Ruoyao squinted her eyes in contemplation when the door was pushed open, and Mu Qingwu entered again.

Surprised, Tang Ruoyao exclaimed, "Sister Mu?"

Mu Qingwu had a stern face, pretending as if nothing had happened, and sat down, saying, "Tell me your long story in detail and make it clear."

...

Tang Ruoyao took a sip of water, moistened her throat, and said, "That's the general idea."

Tang Ruoyao couldn't reveal the full details of the situation, especially the fact that she had been financially supported by Qin Yinong for four years and was still under contract. She mainly emphasized how good Qin Yinong was and how much she had done silently for her, trying to improve her image in Mu Qingwu's eyes. She also repeatedly assured her that she had a sense of propriety and wouldn't let the media catch them.

Mu Qingwu rhythmically tapped her index finger on her knee, let out a soft sigh, and said, "So, you're saying that the reason Qin Yinong came out to clarify the scandal last time was to distance herself from you?"

Tang Ruoyao nodded.

Mu Qingwu rubbed her chin, finding it hard to believe, "Why does this sound so surreal to me?"

Tang Ruoyao replied, "It's true. She even deceived Director Han and implicated him in the scandal. Director Han got so angry that he didn't talk to her for two days. I was there, I saw it with my own eyes."

Mu Qingwu's eyebrows twitched, "Oh, so what about her and Director Han..."

Tang Ruoyao anticipated what she was about to say and quickly interjected, "There's nothing inappropriate between them. Director Han and his wife don't have children, so they treat Qin Yinong like a daughter. He even invited me to have dinner with him and Qin Yinong at his place after the film wraps."

"But didn't you say you two aren't together yet?" Mu Qingwu became more and more confused as she listened.

"Director Han thought we were together."

Mu Qingwu narrowed her eyes, "You've been hiding a lot from me."

Tang Ruoyao pretended to be clueless and exclaimed, "Oh well, there were too many twists and turns in between, I can't explain it all at once."

"Then take your time and explain." Mu Qingwu smiled faintly, but there was a hint of danger in her smile. She threw her into the film crew to focus on acting, and what did she do? She started a passionate love affair and even made plans to meet each other's parents.

"I have a scene in the afternoon, I need to take a nap to refresh myself. I'll tell you more later." Tang Ruoyao said.

"Alright."

Tang Ruoyao took a nap, undisturbed by Mu Qingwu, who was tapping the screen of her phone, her eyes clouded with ,uncertainty. 

Tang Ruoyao's words were only given a three-point level of trust. As a young girl who had fallen in love, three points of trust were already considered good enough. The remaining seven points, she needed to verify them herself to feel at ease.

Qin Yinong was surrounded by rumors, but based on several incidents that Mu Qingwu had unintentionally paid attention to, the people spreading the rumors didn't seem very clever. They started with a picture and fabricated the entire story. It probably wouldn't take much effort to uncover the truth. Mu Qingwu wanted to investigate not only these recent incidents but also the scandal from years ago that had trapped Qin Yinong in the mud. She wanted to find out if it was true or false. She had accompanied men, smiled and entertained them, and had solid evidence of such things. It might be necessary to revisit them.

Mu Qingwu sent a few messages to the person across from her, suddenly stopped, feeling a bit bitter. She realized she was preoccupied with Tang Ruoyao's love life, even though it wasn't her own. Why was she so concerned about it?

Mu Qingwu glanced at Tang Ruoyao, who was sleeping soundly under the blanket, and bared her teeth at her fiercely. Slowly, her fierce expression softened, and she lowered her head to continue typing: [Thank you for your help.]

.....

Tang Ruoyao was awakened by the alarm clock. She sat up abruptly, unable to contain her eagerness to meet Qin Yinong.

Xin Qian timely led the makeup artist into the room. This scene was filmed after taking a shower, almost completely makeup-free. If it weren't for the need to coordinate with the lighting, Tang Ruoyao's skin was in such good condition that she didn't need any makeup.

Just ten minutes later, with minimal makeup, Tang Ruoyao rushed out of the dressing room like a gust of wind.

Xin Qian turned around and glanced at the sullen Mu Qingwu, shrinking her neck and hurriedly following.

"Senior Qin!"

Qin Yinong heard the voice and turned around.

Guan Han stood beside her, following Qin Yinong's gaze.

It was Tang Ruoyao.

Although the distance was short, Tang Ruoyao was panting heavily, and tiny beads of sweat formed on her fair forehead. She stood in front of Qin Yin, her eyes bright, and softly called out, "Senior Qin."

"Good afternoon, Miss Tang." Qin Yinong smiled lightly and responded.

"Shall we go together?" Tang Ruoyao invited.

"Sure."

Tang Ruoyao walked side by side with the woman, catching a whiff of her faint cold fragrance. Even though she had grown accustomed to it, her heart inexplicably accelerated. She looked up at the sky for a moment, then at the ground, and casually asked, "What perfume are you wearing today, Senior Qin?"

"I'm not wearing any perfume."

"Oh, I see." Tang Ruoyao felt a bit embarrassed, silently cursing herself for bringing up such a pointless topic!

"What about you?" Qin Yinong considerately offered her a way out.

"What about me?"

"You also smell great. What are you using?" Qin Yinong looked straight ahead, not looking at her, but her voice was particularly gentle and pleasing, as if reciting poetry.

"I'm not wearing any perfume either." Tang Ruoyao was intoxicated by her voice, lost in it for a second before responding.

Qin Yinong glanced at her sideways, her beautiful eyes filled with affection, appearing neither pleased nor displeased, as if annoyed yet not annoyed. In her pitch-black eyes, Tang Ruoyao could see the infatuation she felt. Without thinking, she reached out her hand, and her fingertips touched Qin Yinong's smooth face, feeling the delicate touch.

Her heart skipped a beat, her gaze deep, and she held the woman's face with one hand, her voice slightly hoarse, "Qin Yinong..."

Qin Yinong looked into her eyes and reminded her, "We're on set."

Tang Ruoyao sheepishly withdrew her hand, a faint pink blush spreading from her neck to her face, feeling embarrassed she said, "Um... I..."

Qin Yinong gently interrupted her, "Let's focus on filming for now."

Tang Ruoyao pursed her lips and nodded firmly, "Okay."

Qin Yinong took a couple of steps forward, her lips curling up for a brief moment, a fleeting smile that quickly returned to calmness.

At the filming center...

"They're here." Han Yuping nodded at the two of them, casually remarking as he lowered his head to look at the monitor screen, playing the morning's footage. He suddenly raised his head again, glanced at Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao, and scratched the back of his head.

He couldn't help but feel that Tang Ruoyao's state was even better than in the morning. She had perfectly portrayed the enthusiasm and recklessness of a young person in love in real life.

Han Yuping took a puff of his cigarette, not thinking too much about it. As long as it benefited the performance, it was fine.

Without wasting any time, Han Yuping confirmed that the two had prepared their emotions and raised the loudspeaker, "All departments, get ready. Actors, take your positions."

The clapperboard was struck, "Scene 29, shot 2, take 3, action!"

Tang Ruoyao leaned in and kissed Qin Yinong's cheek gently.

The lighting dimmed.

Following the script, Qin Yinong closed her eyes slightly and parted her lips to respond.

Their intertwined breaths were scorching.

As their lips separated, their foreheads touched, their eyes locked in a deep and passionate gaze, almost overwhelming each other with the same profound affection, devouring one another without reservation.

Even though it was just a kiss, the scene was full of tension. The emotions displayed beyond the kiss were so intense that even Han Yuping, the straight male director watching from the monitor, could feel the surging excitement in his blood, like a tide sweeping over him.

This is the art of cinematography, the charm of acting!

Han Yuping couldn't help but hold his breath, his eyes widened, and he stared at the monitor without missing a single frame, wishing he could immediately replay it a thousand times.

Tang Ruoyao propped herself up on Qin Yinong's chest with one elbow, gently caressing her fair cheek with the warmth of her fingertips, her gaze filled with tenderness.

Her thin lips moved.

"I love you."

Qin Yinong's heart surged heavily, and the hand that was not restrained by her took the initiative to pull Tang Ruoyao down, allowing her to get infinitely closer, tilting her face up and biting her lips, passionately kissing her.

Tang Ruoyao was taken aback.

This was not in the script, it was her improvised moment.

In the morning, Tang Ruoyao had her moment, and now it was Qin Yinong's turn in the afternoon.

Tang Ruoyao was momentarily stunned but quickly felt her blood boiling, coursing through her limbs, fully immersed in this ultimate interpretation.

Good actors bring out the best in each other on set, and the atmosphere on the filming site keeps building, layer upon layer.

Every time Han Yuping felt that they had reached the pinnacle, they managed to push it even higher, their intertwined hands never letting go.

Han Yuping followed suit, his heart racing, raising his hand to press against his chest, staring intently at the monitor, not daring to breathe.

The sound of their breaths was captured perfectly by the microphone.

The sound guy closest to them blushed, his legs turning weak, his hands trembling as he tried his best to steady the microphone.

.....

Han Yuping: "Cut!" He wiped his face, stood up, and for the first time since joining the crew, he clapped his hands enthusiastically. The usually cold expression in his eyes was replaced with a smile as he praised, "Great actors, excellent performance!"

It had been a long time since he had seen such a brilliant scene. Every gaze, every movement conveyed not just acting, but genuine emotions. Their belief in their characters had reached a whole new level, achieving a true fusion of "I am the character, and the character is me."

Of course, Qin Yinong didn't disappoint him, which was the most gratifying thing. This scene was led by Qin Yinong with Tang Ruoyao, and the crucial point was her initiative in that kiss, completely drawing Tang Ruoyao into the scene.

Han Yuping looked at the two lead actors who were still embracing each other without moving, considerately giving them time to recover.

The more immersed they were in the scene, the more energy it consumed, just like any other performance.

Tang Ruoyao's tightly clenched hand moved slightly, releasing the pale joints of her partner's hand. She lowered her head and kissed Qin Yinong's white, jade-like cheek. Qin Yinong gently closed her eyes and leaned into her embrace.

When their breathing had calmed down a bit, Qin Yinong opened her eyes, with a faint redness lingering in the corners, yet to fade away.

"We're done. Everyone's watching." she said, her voice slightly hoarse.

Tang Ruoyao nodded, released her, and first put on her shoes before reaching out to help Qin Yinong.

Qin Yinong coughed softly, not getting up but instead sitting on the edge of the bed, supporting herself with both hands at her sides, and said in a low voice, "Go and ask Director Han if it was good."

"Okay." Tang Ruoyao replied softly, obediently following through and quickly walking towards Han Yuping, who was watching the playback.

As Tang Ruoyao walked away, Qin Yinong called out, "Guan Han."

Guan Han walked over.

Qin Yinong leaned closer to her and whispered in a voice only they could hear, "Support me."

Guan Han held onto her arm.

With Guan Han's help, Qin Yinong stood up and slowly walked in the direction of the resting room.

The scene just now was too intense, both of them were, and there were things happening off-camera that were far more than what the film script described. If it hadn't been successful this time... Qin Yinong bit her lip, thinking that she might not be able to bear it if they had to do it again.

Han Yuping watched the playback without blinking.

"Didn't I say it earlier?"

"No," Tang Ruoyao said, "Qin Yinong asked me to come and ask you."

"It's good, it's good. If it's been acted out like this, how could it not be good?" Han Yuping waved his hand outward, "If you're willing to watch with me, then be quiet and don't speak."

Tang Ruoyao followed his gaze for a moment, feeling strange and novel.

When she and Qin Yinong were doing that scene earlier, they certainly didn't prepare for a camera shoot, and they didn't even turn on the lights. She had no idea what Qin Yinong looked like in this situation. However, during the halfway through the filming, Qin Yinong's affectionate expression, the peach-like soft pink that gradually bloomed in the corners of her eyes, made Tang Ruoyao stunned for several seconds, almost forgetting that she was acting.

Tang Ruoyao continued watching the playback, her expression dazed: It turned out she was so beautiful when she was emotional.

After a while, Tang Ruoyao remembered that this was a movie that would be released in the future, which meant that everyone would be able to see Qin Yinong's seductive appearance.

Tang Ruoyao felt a pang of sourness, and her mood for watching was gone.

"Director Han, I'm going back first."

Han Yuping's eyes were fixated on the screen, shining brightly. He didn't have time to pay attention to her.

Tang Ruoyao went back to look for Qin Yinong, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Where did Senior Qin go?" She approached the sound technician who had already finished his second bottle of water. As soon as he saw her flushed face, he took a sip of water and choked on it, coughing uncontrollably.

Tang Ruoyao: "..."

After catching his breath, the sound technician said, "She went back to the resting room."

Tang Ruoyao nodded politely, "Thank you."

She turned and walked towards the resting room.

The sound technician stared at her back in a daze. The guy next to him, who was holding a reflector, also walked over. The two of them exchanged a knowing smile and shared a tacit understanding.

In fact, there had been rumors circulating on set during this period of time. Because of the strict discipline that Qin Yinong had imposed earlier, no one openly discussed it, but it had spread in private. The rumor was that Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao had developed real feelings for each other and had become involved off-screen.

The people on set were not blind. Even before they started shooting outdoor scenes, there were vague rumors, but it was just starting to sprout at that time. Everyone treated it as gossip, chatting about it and not taking it too seriously. However, since they arrived here, the atmosphere between these two people had visibly changed. Not to mention being inseparable, even a fleeting glance between them would spark fireworks.

Many staff members on set had secretly shipped the "QinTang" CP (couple), praising their good looks, their on-screen chemistry, and their fair and beautiful appearance. They were the perfect couple, and their happiness was self-evident. Moreover, they exchanged information with each other, and among them, the sound technician and the reflector holder, who were always present during scene preparations, had the most abundant information.

In the morning, during the scene that had an NG (no good), Qin Yinong accidentally called out "Yao Yao." Once this incident spread, it caused a burst of excitement both openly and secretly on set. The eyes were sharp, the smiles were radiant, and the mood was indescribable.

Tang Ruoyao glanced to the side as if sensing something. A female staff member from the props department immediately restrained her radiant smile upon seeing Tang Ruoyao and spoke seriously, "Miss Tang, do you have any instructions?"

Tang Ruoyao replied indifferently, "No."

The staff member smiled and said, "Alright, please let me know. if you need anything"

Tang Ruoyao suppressed the slight unease in her heart and continued walking forward.

She raised her hand and knocked on the door of Qin Yinong's dressing room.

"Wait a moment." The person who opened the door was Guan Han, as usual. Instead of immediately allowing Tang Ruoyao to enter, she turned back several times to confirm something before saying, "Please come in."

Tang Ruoyao asked Xin Qian to wait outside while she entered alone.

Qin Yinong had changed out of her movie costume and was wearing a pair of white pants. She was sitting on the sofa, elegantly crossing her long legs, taking a sip of water. She asked, "Did Director Han say it's a wrap?"

Tang Ruoyao replied, "Yes."

In her mind, she wondered, "If you don't know whether it's a wrap or not, why did you change your pants?"

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