“You, you, you…what are you doing?!” Gu Qingtong’s cheeks turned crimson as she watched Yan Chi’s actions, licking and nibbling on the marks she left. She was so embarrassed that even her questioning words became a bit stuttered.
When she improvised during the audition, she had only considered how the character might react to such a situation, and she impulsively bit down. She never anticipated the current situation.
Reflecting on it now, if it weren’t for the fact that Yan Chi had been acting just now, she would likely react the same way she used to whenever she made her “step” on her – with that twisted sense of pleasure!
As these thoughts raced through her mind, Gu Qingtong suddenly realized that her betrothed wife seemed to be even more outrageous than the main character of “Bai Mei Sheng” – the deranged woman Xuan Qingyun?
It’s incredible how just earlier she was sympathizing with the second female lead, He Haomei, while reading the script. Maybe she should be more concerned about herself instead!
“Tongtong, you were so ruthless just now, you even bit me so hard,” Yan Chi looked at Gu Qingtong with a hint of alluring darkness in her eyes, as if subtly enticing her, “The marks are still there, you know, even now.”
As she spoke, Yan Chi extended her slender index finger in front of Gu Qingtong.
Seeing Gu Qingtong slightly shy away while unable to resist stealing glances, a playful smile curved on Yan Chi’s lips.
She knew it – Tongtong couldn’t resist caring about her.
“So… are you going to make up for it by helping me ease the pain?” At last, Yan Chi steered the conversation in the direction she desired, her gaze towards Gu Qingtong becoming sweeter, as if coated with some kind of honey, coaxing and deceiving.
Gu Qingtong’s eyes shifted to Yan Chi’s fingertip, and there was a deep red bite mark on her pale finger, just looking at it seemed painful.
Gu Qingtong was naturally averse to pain, and at this moment, she could really empathize with it. Thinking back, although Yan Chi had bitten her before, each time was like a playful gesture, varying in intensity. When had she bitten her so hard like this?
The little trickster showed a bit of conscience and reluctantly agreed, saying: “Does it hurt a lot… so, what do you suggest we do?”
There was a hint of guilt in her tone, as she genuinely felt sorry for Yan Chi. After all, during that scene they just acted, even though Yan Chi looked fierce and insane, her actions towards Gu Qingtong were remarkably restrained and gentle. Even the handcuffs and chains were loosely fastened to the pillar to prevent hurting her wrists.
So, it was only when Gu Qingtong seemed to be getting serious at the final step that she panicked and tried to escape at the last moment. Because Yan Chi’s leg was indeed pressed up against her…
Yan Chi spoke, her tone inexplicably rising, revealing her current excitement, “Can you, Tongtong, endure it?”
Gu Qingtong instantly realized that there was no way Yan Chi’s mention of pain relief was meant in a straightforward manner! Finally, she understood that she had seemingly fallen into her trap once again.
Even though she had long known that every time Yan Chi used her honey-like voice and gaze to entice her, it was probably to coax her into doing something difficult to utter.
But each time, she simply couldn’t resist, and somehow, she would end up following her lead.
Could it be that… she also subconsciously liked these things?!
Gu Qingtong’s pupils dilated significantly, immediately erasing the dangerous thought from her mind.
It must be because she’s too shallow when it comes to looks. Just think about it, not just her, but no one could resist the seduction of Yan Chi, that high and cold beauty, right? With this in mind, Gu Qingtong finally made up her mind.
However, before agreeing, she wanted to give Yan Chi a little warning to prevent her from taking advantage in the future:
“This time, it’s because I bit you first that I’m doing this. I won’t easily agree next time!”
With a blush on her face, Gu Qingtong slightly parted her rosy lips. Her pitch-black pupils had to meet Yan Chi’s gaze as they waited. This situation was entirely different from the audition scene earlier. When Gu Qingtong felt the slender finger, she had no idea what to do. Somehow, her mind went blank, and she even nervously touched it with her tongue. Feeling the cool sensation, she startled herself and froze in place.
Yan Chi’s fingertip sensation seemed to have become much more sensitive, and she naturally knew that Gu Qingtong had done something secretly. That soft, warm sensation seemed to travel from her fingertips all the way to a place deep in her heart, causing her entire body to tremble slightly, reaching a certain point in her mind. It even made her emit a soft gasp. In front of Gu Qingtong, Yan Chi was shameless, squinting her eyes, not bothering to hide that sound, as if she also wanted to arouse similar feelings in the other.
Gu Qingtong’s face once again displayed that expression of being unable to speak, just like in the dressing room earlier. She didn’t dare to look at Yan Chi; it was just too embarrassing! She had only lightly licked Yan Chi’s finger, why did it make her feel so comfortable? Thinking about this, she finally couldn’t continue and stopped. Yan Chi had already achieved what she wanted and didn’t want to embarrass Gu Qingtong any further. However, her fingertips seemed to have a mind of their own, lingering with an unexpected strand of reluctance. Both of them noticed this unexpected turn of events.
Unlike Yan Chi’s satisfied demeanor, this almost made Gu Qingtong completely snap out of the bewitching state Yan Chi had put her in. She suddenly covered her lips with the back of her hand and took several steps back.
“What are you hiding from? We’ve already done it, just because of a little wetness?”
If you hadn’t lost focus that day, you would have seen the entire hand in this state.”
Yan Chi teased, her words veiled but knowing that Gu Qingtong would understand.
“P-Pervert!”
Gu Qingtong’s face changed colors rapidly between red and white, and finally she spat out this word before turning and running away without looking back.
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After slipping into the rest area, Gu Qingtong still couldn’t calm down. Waiting for Gu Qingtong to finish her audition, Sun Xiao saw her red-faced and embarrassed look.
“What…what’s wrong?”
Sun Xiao thought that Gu Qingtong had encountered some problems during the audition and felt embarrassed, so she quickly organized her words to console her:
“It’s just an audition, right? Facing such a strict director, it’s normal to not perform perfectly. Don’t take it to heart. I have many other scripts, and my original idea was to let you gain some experience. I was prepared for you not to get the role.”
Gu Qingtong pursed her lips, looked at Sun Xiao, and shook her head before speaking after a moment of hesitation: “It’s not about that…”
“If it’s not about that, then what else could it be?” Sun Xiao’s expression became even more puzzled. She hadn’t even considered the direction of thinking about Yan Chi.
Worried that Sun Xiao might pester her with more questions, Gu Qingtong had to steer the conversation towards the audition topic that interested her: “Never mind, let’s talk about the audition. Xuan Yao is not possible anymore. Even Tan Siying is competing for this supporting role. Her performance is much better than mine.”
“Tan Siying?!” Sun Xiao knew that the competition for this role was intense, but she hadn’t expected a popular actress to be competing for it. She was genuinely surprised.
However, in the face of such strong competition, there wasn’t much comfort Sun Xiao could offer to Gu Qingtong. She could only pat her shoulder and say: “You just lacked a bit of luck this time. Keep trying next time.”
“I haven’t finished yet. Director Yuan asked me to audition for other roles…” Gu Qingtong’s voice lowered as she continued, mindful of others in the rest area, “I auditioned for the role of the second female lead, He Haomei.”
When Sun Xiao heard this, she was nearly choked in surprise and couldn’t help but exclaim: “The second female lead?!”
“Hey, lower your voice! Do you want the whole world to hear?” Gu Qingtong hurriedly pulled Sun Xiao into a corner of the corridor before continuing in a hushed tone, “I just went to give it a try. There’s no guarantee I’ll be selected, and my performance wasn’t that great. When we reached the scene that Director Yuan cared about the most, I got so scared that I couldn’t continue acting…”
Despite Gu Qingtong’s earnest explanations, Sun Xiao didn’t listen at all:
“Don’t you know? The second female lead role was never publicly auditioned for. It has always been said to be pre-selected. It couldn’t be that you’re the one who’s being pre-selected, right?!”
Seemingly realizing the connection between Gu Qingtong and Yan Chi, Sun Xiao suddenly had an epiphany: “You still say that your marriage to Yan Chi is just for show, but it looks like there’s something between you two!”
Unable to get a word in, Gu Qingtong gave Sun Xiao a resentful look and defended herself: “Why don’t you say that I attracted Yuan Jingyu with my own abilities? The leads in her previous work ‘Lucid Dream’ were both newcomers…even Teacher Yan praised my acting, and it was Director Yuan who personally saw my potential.”
“Oh~ Teacher Yan, huh—” Sun Xiao looked at Gu Qingtong with a subtly amused expression, as if she understood everything.
Gu Qingtong was so annoyed that she bared her teeth at Sun Xiao: “Forget it, I’m not telling you anymore!”
She didn’t care; there’s no way Yan Chi would lie to her!
However, her mood quickly turned somewhat gloomy.
Even her own agent thought that she could audition for the role of He Haomei solely because of Yan Chi’s recommendation, let alone others.
If she really passed the audition and the movie officially announced her as the lead, she feared that there would be overwhelming skepticism and mockery directed at her.
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If it were just doubts about herself, she could brush it off by performing well and proving them wrong. After all, this was Yan Chi’s movie. Gu Qingtong didn’t want her presence to create even the slightest negative impact on Yan Chi or her work.
Even though she had anticipated this, Gu Qingtong understood her own feelings better than anyone else. She couldn’t bear to give up this opportunity to act opposite of Yan Chi. She…she was a selfish person…
Gu Qingtong’s emotions were easily detectable, even by Sun Xiao, who was recently surprised, noticed her desolation. Suddenly, Sun Xiao felt that her earlier words had been too harsh.
“Gu Qingtong.”
Hearing Sun Xiao’s unexpectedly serious tone, Gu Qingtong lifted her head in a daze.
“I’ve been your agent for so long, and I understand your efforts better than anyone else,” Sun Xiao’s tone held no trace of joking, “I’ve always known that you just lacked an opportunity. Quantity should have led to a transformation a long time ago.”
“When I first joined this company, I was focused on pursuing my directorial dream, and I didn’t dedicate a single day to being an agent. The whole company was in a state of stagnation. The reason I gradually set aside my aloofness and started networking for resources is, you could say, because I was moved by your relentless efforts, even though…both the company and I have held you back.”
“You also know, at first, I had misconceptions about you. In this world, no one is born with applause and flowers1metaphorically to describe someone who seems to have an easy or privileged life. Just as you changed my perception, you can change even more.”
Hearing Sister Sun express her views about her for the first time, there was something flickering in Gu Qingtong’s eyes. She was touched and at a loss for words. “Sister Sun…”
Sun Xiao seemed to be averse to such emotional scenes. As soon as she finished speaking, she turned away, not looking at Gu Qingtong. She said:
“Don’t be moved! I’m just saying nice things, but even if I’m moved, I won’t get better opportunities. Now, if you want to turn things around and gain recognition, it’s all up to your own efforts. Keep pushing yourself!”
Gu Qingoing couldn’t help but chuckle at Sun Xiao’s evasive stance, and the emotional atmosphere from just now dissipated instantly. Indeed, in the face of setbacks, she wouldn’t hesitate to move forward; she had always been someone who charged ahead. If one approach didn’t work, she would learn more and try again. Even those who critiqued her performance without even seeing it, including Yan Chi, probably wouldn’t care. Having been comforted for a moment, Gu Qingtong was once again filled with energy and returned to her spirited and foolish self.
A whole week of continuous preparation and a full day of filming two emotionally demanding scenes had truly exhausted her mentally. After returning home, Gu Qingtong finished her nighttime routine and, without even bothering to check her phone, drifted into a deep sleep.
However, what she didn’t anticipate was that on this night, she once again found herself immersed in a dream involving Yan Chi. This time, the dream was completely different from the ones before, devoid of any plot or story elements. It was purely an explicit and intimate encounter, depicting herself being intimately involved with Yan Chi.
If it weren’t for the fact that this dream overlapped with the sense of reality and the three previous dreams, Gu Qingtong would almost have suspected that her own thirst and longing for Yan Chi’s body had led her to dream in such a manner.
As Gu Qingtong entered the dream, it was already the most unbearable stage. An overwhelming sensation enveloped her without any warning. Involuntarily, she bit hard onto the shoulder that was close to her lips, even through her clothes.
When she realized her own actions, she was also surprised, not understanding why she had suddenly bitten down like that. However, Yan Chi’s reaction in the dream was even more unexpected. The entirety of her body pressed down, and her form trembled noticeably, displaying the most uncharacteristic behavior so far.
Biting her lip couldn’t stifle the muffled moan that escaped her, and only the coldness in her eyes and brows faintly retained some of the dignified restraint of the elegant flower she had been known as.
After a moment, her body stiffened slightly, and then she slowly sat up and knelt down by the side, casting a shadow over her.
Yan Chi unbuttoned her clothing and looked at the bite mark on her shoulder. Gu Qingtong couldn’t see her expression at all and had no idea what she might be thinking at that moment.
This time, neither of them said a word. Gu Qingtong woke up, feeling like she had entered a different timeline. The reactions from the dream were brought back to reality intact. As Gu Qingtong noticed the subtle changes within herself, she took a deep breath and quickly got out of bed, heading towards the closet.
After taking care of herself, Gu Qingtong finally had the time to think about the inexplicable “bite.”
Suddenly, a very strong urge overcame her—she wanted to validate this with Yan Chi, to see if it was real. This desire was a mix of wanting to test the dream once more and also…..wanting to witness that same uncharacteristic side of Yan Chi in reality.
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In the past week, the hot topic in Yan Chi’s fan circle revolved around “Bai Mei Sheng.” Not only Yan Chi’s fans, but even passersby were quite curious about who the mysterious second female lead would be. Although there hasn’t been an official announcement yet, the actors for various roles have gradually been revealed.
Some actors couldn’t resist sharing their excitement, while others were either leaked by marketing accounts or were purely speculative. Despite the external buzz, both “Bai Mei Sheng” and Yuan Jingyu’s official account remain silent, not posting a single pre-release tweet.
Every day, a group of netizens camp under Yuan Jingyu’s Weibo posts, crying and begging for Director Yuan to reveal the actress for the role of He Haomei as soon as possible. People speculate that it might be a newcomer they haven’t seen before. Some leaks were particularly mysterious, claiming that the reason why “Bai Mei Sheng,” which was put on hold for a year, is being restarted after a year is because they found a celestial talent with superb acting skills and appearance comparable to Yan Chi’s. This theory gained a lot of approval and raised the expectations of many.
When Gu Qingtong saw this Weibo post, she almost spat out a mouthful of blood. She could almost imagine the scene where the whole internet would be disappointed and furious if it were to be officially announced that she was cast in the role.
The more tightly things were concealed, the more interested people became. Netizens’ curiosity could only be directed elsewhere. Yan Chi’s and other actresses’ historical costume CP2Couple Pairing edits for “Bai Mei Sheng” were found all over platforms like U Station. These edits dominated the CP rankings and film and television editing charts, as if they had paired every possible person who could play He Haomei. The forbidden love and tension between Xuan Qingyun and He Haomei in these videos were truly captivating.
Although these videos were all popular, there hadn’t been one edit that could gain public recognition for He Haomei yet. This was because it had been announced that Gu Qingtong would audition for the role of Xuan Yao, so the edits often revolved around the Xuan sisters’ CP instead.
While the earlier portrayal of Xuan Yao as a sweet and later transformation into a malicious character, along with the pretended gentle older sister, was interesting to watch, it ultimately didn’t align with mainstream preferences. Speaking of this, Gu Qingtong realized that even the UP creator who had been heavily criticized for the “Silent Gaze” CP video she had seen before had returned with another edit.
What set this UP creator apart from the rest was her stubborn determination to turn Gu Qingtong into He Haomei. Although this new video didn’t achieve the same level of popularity as the previous one, Gu Qingtong noticed that the editing skills had significantly improved compared to last time.
Not only did she continue to put effort into finding her previous minor roles in various films, but under her skilled hands, the scenes where she and Yan Chi appeared together had almost no sense of dissonance. In fact, she managed to use a few characters she had portrayed as wicked supporting roles in the past to convey He Haomei’s determination and stubbornness.
This is also why, even with only a few thousand views, the comments reached an astonishing five or six hundred. People who clicked on the video were surprised to find that Gu Qingtong seemed to be the most suitable match for He Haomei among these CP edits, whether it was in terms of appearance or temperament.
But everyone also knows that she is precisely the least likely to play He Haomei’s role, so they can only feel regretful and disappointed. Apart from Yan Chi and the mysterious second female lead, the most discussed role is, of course, Xuan Yao’s character. After all, who could have imagined that Tan Siying, a first-tier actress, would also audition for Xuan Yao’s role?
The moment they heard this news, everyone initially didn’t believe it because even if Tan Siying were really going to act in the movie, in terms of fame and experience, she shouldn’t be starting with the role of the third female lead. When photos of her participating in the audition were released, their speculations were finally confirmed.
Almost instantly, the netizens who had hoped for Gu Qingtong to play Xuan Yao’s role changed their minds. They began to believe that Tan Siying was more suitable for this character that required a portrayal of a transformation into darkness. People naturally assumed that Gu Qingtong must have failed the audition. As a result, her online discussions decreased significantly. At most, only her fans or fans who were looking forward to seeing her alongside Yan Chi in the Xuan sisters’ CP would express their regrets.
Though the internet’s memory is short-lived, the competitors who had been overshadowed by Gu Qingtong in the past seemed unwilling to let go of this opportunity to throw salt on her wounds, using it as a chance to mock her.
On the audition day, Fu Keqi and Tang Yun both suffered from retaliatory trending of their past scandals, which seriously damaged their image. After all, the scandals they had previously used to maintain their popularity were relatively inconsequential. However, now there was concrete evidence of their wrongdoings that people were genuinely fed up with.
Initially, netizens demanded that Fu Keqi pay back the money she owed, but the amount was significant and Fu Keqi, who projected herself as a second-generation wealthy individual, was reluctant to part with her money to repay the workers. After all, such incidents are not uncommon in the entertainment industry, taking advantage of the internet’s short memory span.
These “bad debtors” were willing to spend money to manipulate their public image through marketing strategies, yet they were entirely unwilling to pay back the money they owed.
Moreover, it was their parents who were restricted in terms of consumption and travel, which didn’t harm their own interests. They acted as if nothing had happened and refused to spend even a single penny. On the other hand, Tang Yun, who used her own pets to market her image, barely had time to gloat before her history of animal abuse, including abandoning cats and removing dog teeth, was exposed.
Their two-faced nature was laid bare, and naturally, they were permanently blacklisted by netizens. Fu and Tang couldn’t figure out who had dug up their scandals, and at one point, they even suspected each other of sabotage. After both sides suffered losses, they finally realized that there must be someone else behind the scenes pulling the strings.
It’s easy to pick on someone who can’t fight back. Since they couldn’t target the popular figure Tan Siying, the first to discover the trending topic, Gu Qingtong, became the main target of their attention.
With the intention of not letting themselves or others rest easy, the two immediately seized upon the opportunity when they saw that Gu Qingtong’s audition had failed.
Soon after, Gu Qingtong, who had been patiently waiting for the results, suddenly noticed that the marketing accounts that had been criticizing her had changed their tone.
From posting three times a day about “green tea” and “using Yan Chi for publicity,” they now showered her with praise around the clock.
“Although everyone online is saying that Xuan Yao’s role is meant for Tan Siying, it’s clear that Gu Qingtong and Yan Chi have great chemistry!
And Tan Siying’s acting skills aren’t that impressive either. People online are just filtering her through the lens of being a senior actress. Am I the only one who thinks that only Gu Qingtong is suitable for this role?”
There was an abundance of comments that aimed to slander and provoke, making it incredibly difficult to guard against.
Gu Qingtong looked at these marketing accounts with their obvious ulterior motives and couldn’t help but feel speechless. Who doesn’t know that this is their deliberate attempt to build her up while putting others down?
Although most of Tan Siying’s fans understood that this was a common tactic of marketing accounts and wouldn’t target Gu Qingtong, there were always some fish that took the bait, and they directed their criticism at her.
In the end, over time, Gu Qingtong, who had already been labeled with the “publicity stunt” accusation, was further burdened, adding another layer of guilt.
However, the other side had clearly learned their lesson and refrained from triggering major trending topics.
They just popped up every now and then, pestering Gu Qingtong for a few days, but she couldn’t be bothered to pay them any attention.
After all, before the official announcement of “Bai Mei Sheng,” she still had to shoot a joint cover with Yan Chi for a certain fashion magazine, and the first episode of “Love Game” was also about to be released. Gu Qingtong had shifted her focus more towards these engagements.
