"Here I am."
Chen Luan said from the doorway into the room, "Le Yao, I need to talk to you. Can we come in?"
"No need," Lin Leyao refused decisively. "Let's talk at the door."
Lin Leyao walked to the door and looked at Chen Luan.
Upon seeing Lin Leyao appear, Chen Luan couldn't help but recall the situation from earlier, his face turning pale and then red.
Lin Leyao said to Xiao Mi next to her, "Xiao Mi, you go back first, and remember to take the barbecue with you."
"Oh, okay."
Xiaomi sensed that something was wrong, so she didn't ask any more questions, went inside to get the barbecue, and left the room.
Once everyone else was around, Chen Luan took a deep breath and asked with difficulty, "Le Yao, did you see everything just now?"
Lin Leyao answered expressionlessly, "Yes."
Chen Luan's dry throat gurgled, and his lips parted, but the words stuck in his dry throat.
His mind was in complete disarray, and he couldn't help but recall the scene in the underground parking lot.
The van is very well sealed off; outsiders can't hear anything inside, and those inside can't hear anything outside.
When Lin Leyao's car drove into the driver's seat, the lights were bright. Chen Luan knew that a driver had entered the garage, and he became quiet. The car was completely silent.
He waited for a while, and when no lights came on, he began to act.
The arrow was already on the bowstring and had to be released; he neither heard nor noticed a figure quietly approaching.
When he sensed something was wrong, he looked up and met a pair of bright eyes outside the car.
Those eyes were calm and still, but Chen Luan felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, his whole body stiffening.
He felt that Lin Leyao's gaze was extremely piercing.
Lin Leyao turned and left expressionlessly, but Chen Luan couldn't be so calm. He immediately released the person in his arms, put on his clothes, and chased after her.
It is a very embarrassing thing to be discovered by fellow actors, especially female actors, who are also involved in a production.
Chen Luan wanted to keep this a secret, and he wanted to talk to Lin Leyao about it.
The thought immediately popped into his head. He reached out and grabbed Lin Leyao's arm, saying urgently, "Leyao, let's go inside and talk!"
Lin Leyao broke free from his hand: "Brother Chen, it's not appropriate for a man and a woman to be alone together. If you have something to say, just say it at the door."
Chen Luan suddenly lost his temper, his voice filled with anger: "But some things are not suitable to be said at the door!"
"Click—"
The door to the next room suddenly opened, and Su Wenyu came out, her eyes fixed on the two people who were struggling.
"Sister Wenyu," Lin Leyao greeted.
"Le Yao." Su Wenyu smiled at Lin Le Yao, then looked at Chen Luan, "Come in with me, don't disturb Le Yao."
Chen Luan frowned, and seeing Lin Leyao's tough expression, he finally gave up and went into Su Wenyu's room.
The next morning, Lin Leyao appeared in the dressing room as usual.
Su Wenyu wasn't here today, so Xiao Li quickly started doing Lin Leyao's hair. Perhaps because Xiaomi had hit the nail on the head yesterday, Xiao Li was unusually quiet today, and her hands were particularly meticulous.
After redrawing the forehead ornament on Lin Leyao's forehead, Xiao Mi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Teacher Lin, your look is done."
"good."
The dressing rooms are all located on the first floor of the hotel. In addition to the dressing room used by Lin Leyao, there are many dressing rooms for supporting actors and extras.
The rooms were very close together, and a makeup artist from the extras' dressing room ran over.
"Sister Li, we have a lot of people here today. Linlin took the day off, and Taozi and I are a bit overwhelmed. Could you come and lend us a hand once you're done here?"
Xiao Li readily agreed: "I've already finished on my end, I'll come help you in a bit."
Lin Leyao and the makeup artist who came for help left the room one after the other.
The dressing room for extras was at the end of the corridor. At this moment, the door was wide open, and Lin Leyao turned her head and met the eyes of a woman dressed in a light green ancient costume standing at the door.
Upon seeing Lin Leyao, the other person's face drained of color, and they quickly lowered their head.
·
"Group A, Match 48, First Match, Action!"
The Imperial Garden of the Royal Palace.
It was the coldest time of winter, with biting winds, but the Imperial Garden showed no signs of decay or desolation.
The garden is full of flowers in full bloom, especially the plum blossom grove in the northeast corner.
A splash of ginger yellow streaked through the plum grove, chasing after a figure in a peach-pink dress ahead.
The sound of giggling laughter kept coming from the plum grove.
Suddenly, the ginger-yellow figure exerted its strength, lunging forward and pinning the woman in the peach-pink dress against the plum tree.
Outside the plum grove, Hua Lingyuan saw this scene, her nails clenched tightly into her palms, and her eyes blazed with jealousy.
Inside Yaohua Palace.
The room was quiet. All the palace maids lowered their heads and held their breath, afraid of offending the woman in the main seat.
On the main seat of the hall, Hua Lingyuan, dressed in a magnificent palace gown, looked down at the palace maid kneeling in the center of the hall.
The palace maid was dressed in a bright pink dress, which looked very vibrant and eye-catching.
For some unknown reason, Hua Lingyuan's face darkened. She put down the cup, and the crisp sound of the porcelain clinking made the kneeling palace maid shiver.
“Raise your head,” Hua Lingyuan said coldly.
Seeing that the person kneeling on the ground did not react, the female official next to her immediately raised her eyebrows and shouted angrily, "Why aren't you raising your head!"
The kneeling palace maid slowly raised her head, revealing a delicate nose, willow-leaf eyebrows, and a pair of bright, clear eyes misted with fear.
Hua Lingyuan glanced at her and said softly, "What a pitiful little beauty. You've been in my palace for so long, and I never even noticed you existed."
"Your Majesty!" The palace maid was so frightened that she immediately leaned forward and knelt on the ground with her head down.
Hua Lingyuan asked slowly, "What's your name?"
The palace maid stammered, "This servant...this servant's name is Yizhi."
Hua Lingyuan took a sip of cold tea and looked at Yizhi, who was kneeling on the ground trembling, without saying a word.
Time passed slowly, and Yizhi's body swayed even more violently due to the trembling.
Hua Lingyuan gave the female official beside her a look, and the official immediately understood and shouted to the palace maids who had been waiting quietly on both sides of the hall, "Drag the person away!"
Sensing several palace maids approaching, Yizhi shouted, "What are you doing? Don't come any closer!"
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Yizhi cried out to the woman in the main seat, whose beauty was boundless. But when she met the woman's cold gaze, Yizhi felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head, and she shivered in the dead of winter.
Seeing that she was about to be dragged away, Yizhi had already anticipated the consequences after leaving the palace.
She can't die!
The thought flashed through her mind, and she struggled desperately, raising her head to roar at the person in the main seat: "Hua Lingyuan! You dare to hurt me? The Emperor will not let you get away with this!"
"Hua Lingyuan! You..."
Hua Lingyuan said coolly, "Oh? You, a mere palace maid, stole my jewelry. Why would the Emperor care if I punish a palace maid with a thief's hand?"
"You..." Yizhi was speechless for a moment, then gritted her teeth and forced out a few words filled with hatred, "You have such a vicious heart!"
Hua Lingyuan waved her hand, and the other palace maids immediately sprang into action, carrying Yizhi out the door.
Seeing no hope of survival, Yizhi continued to curse: "Hua Lingyuan! It was the Emperor who took a fancy to me! It was the Emperor who wanted me! If you don't blame the Emperor, why torture a lowly palace maid like me! Is this all you've got? What Consort Hua? You're nothing but a piece of trash who will never become Empress no matter how hard you try! Bah!"
"Mmm." The palace maid next to her immediately stuffed the cloth ball into Yizhi's mouth, and the noisy hall finally quieted down.
"Card!"
The scene finally ended, and the palace maid playing Yizhi immediately stood up and apologized to the extras next to her: "I'm sorry, I struggled a lot just now, did I hurt you?"
"It's alright, it's alright."
"..."
Lin Leyao tilted her slender neck back as Xiao Li touched up her makeup. After it was done, she sat on a chair and closed her eyes, pretending to doze off.
At this moment, the crew was busy rearranging the scene, the director was reviewing the footage, and the extras were chatting together. A cacophony of sounds created a noisy atmosphere on set.
Feeling a faint, persistent gaze upon her, Lin Leyao, who had been feigning sleep, suddenly opened her eyes and looked around.
In an instant, her eyes met those of an extra dressed in a pale yellow palace maid outfit.
When the other person saw Lin Leyao looking over, they immediately turned their head away.
This person is the female internet celebrity nicknamed "Hengdian Boss Lady" whom Xiaomi once introduced.
He usually attracts attention by shooting short clips during filming.
Lin Leyao remembers that the female internet celebrity's name was Qian Tong.
That woman in Chen Luan's car in the underground parking garage that day was her!
Lin Leyao was still lost in her thoughts when she suddenly heard Xiao Mi greeting someone next to her.
"Teacher Chen."
Lin Leyao saw Chen Luan walking over with a bag of milk tea.
"Le Yao, I bought milk tea, do you want some? Here, Xiaomi, you have a cup too."
Lin Leyao noticed that Chen Luan didn't look well and guessed that he probably hadn't slept all night because of what happened in the underground parking garage.
Lin Leyao looked up at Chen Luan.
When his eyes met hers, Chen Luan couldn't help but look away.
The next second, Lin Leyao said, "Brother Chen, I won't drink it. I'm on a diet and can't drink it."
After being rejected, Chen Luan left with a bag of milk tea.
They were filming a night scene that night. Lin Leyao had just finished filming a scene when she heard Xiao Mi excitedly say, "Sister Leyao, Teacher Chen is treating us to Japanese food. He asked me to get you the most expensive and luxurious set meal. Try it!"
Lin Leyao frowned. She knew Chen Luan was trying to please her, but the thought of him cheating on her with Su Wenyu made her unwilling to touch anything he had bought.