Chapter 12: The Threat

Song Wan was taken aback, realizing he was serious. When she turned and saw the grim look on Qian Fu’s face, she grew indignant as well. Without hesitation, she threw herself at him, lifted herself on tiptoe, and pressed her lips to his—

MUA~

The sound was so loud and unabashed it could make anyone blush with embarrassment.

Song Wan cast a charming glance over her shoulder. “Don’t mind him, Director. We’re just fooling around.”

Jin Youqian’s face was dark with anger; he was about to speak, but Song Wan pinched his waist.

It didn’t hurt, but Jin Youqian’s expression turned even gloomier.

This woman was utterly outrageous!

Jin Youqian’s eyes shifted. If he weren’t so magnanimous and above petty grievances, Song Wan would’ve been blacklisted long ago—hmph!

Assistant Wu, who had been fined bonuses for even the slightest misstep, was probably crying in the restroom at this very moment—

Boss, do you have a fundamental misunderstanding about yourself?

Song Wan leaned in close, whispering a threat in his ear, “If you cost me this role, I’ll haunt you every single day! Your company, your villa…” She paused, then added, “Even your home!”

Jin Youqian sneered, “You make it sound so easy. Do you even know where I live?” Even if she did, could she get in?

His home, guarded as tightly as the residence of a national leader, was protected for good reason—a mother who adored spending money, earning her the title of “National Mother-in-Law.”

Song Wan hesitated, then gripped his arms, lifting herself to meet his gaze, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “I may not be able to get into your house, but… I think your butler rather liked me last time. What do you think, Mr. Jin?”

Jin Youqian’s pupils contracted; he stared at Song Wan as if she were a wild beast, his lips pressed into a thin line.

So that explained it—he’d locked the door last time, yet she’d still managed to climb into his bed. Uncle Feng must have been behind it…

Remembering the butler’s efforts to push people onto his bed, Jin Youqian felt a headache coming on. If Song Wan really recruited Uncle Feng’s help, it wasn’t impossible for her to get into his house.

Seeing Jin Youqian’s expression, Song Wan laughed inwardly. So her suspicion had been correct: the butler had indeed been encouraging her to climb—into—his—bed!

Song Wan’s eyes narrowed. Could it be that Mr. Jin had a secret ailment?

With that, she felt even bolder, and even flicked her pink tongue across her lips.

The proximity was so close that Jin Youqian had the illusion she was licking his own lips.

Boom—

It was as if fireworks exploded in Jin Youqian’s head, and a flush of red quickly spread across his handsome face, giving him an unexpectedly endearing look.

Fortunately, Song Wan shielded him from view, so no one else noticed.

Song Wan buried her head against his chest, creating the illusion she was shyly snuggling in his arms. Jin Youqian, still dazed, instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist, utterly oblivious to how inappropriate their interaction was.

Yet the sticky, honeyed atmosphere swirling between them was enough to send the onlookers’ hearts racing, fueling the wildest of girlish fantasies.

Most importantly, both of them were stunningly attractive!

The combination of their beauty and those long legs—capturing such a pink-hued scene on camera would be a treasure for a lifetime!

A girl in oversized black-rimmed glasses, having inadvertently witnessed the scene, stealthily put away her phone, suppressing her urge to take more photos. With a wave of her sleeve, she vanished into the next dressing room, unnoticed by anyone.

Qian Fu, who had wanted to interject but never found the chance, quietly swallowed a mouthful of jealousy. “...I’d better not disturb you two.” With that, he hurried off to prepare for the opening ceremony.

Assistant Wu lowered his head. “I’ll go see if there’s anything I can help with!” He quickly followed after Qian Fu.

Song Wan chuckled, raising her gaze to Jin Youqian, only to find the tips of his ears flushed red again.

Honestly, could he be any purer?

“What are you staring at?” Jin Youqian barked, trying to sound fierce but betraying his own nerves.

Unable to resist teasing him, Song Wan laughed softly. “Mr. Jin, I know I’m pretty, but you can’t just take advantage of me and expect me not to mind. You may not care, but I do!”

Jin Youqian glared. Was this woman actually accusing him now?

“Like I said, if you’re interested, just say the word!” Song Wan’s eyes curved with mischief. “No need for any of these little tricks.”

Jin Youqian took a deep breath, shaking off her hand. “You—”

Song Wan rose on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his again, biting and kissing him.

Soft and tinged with just the right tartness, just like her favorite lemon candies—completely at odds with his personality.

Jin Youqian was stunned, wholly unprepared for her sudden assault.

Pressing her finger to his lips, Song Wan sighed in mock regret. “Mr. Jin, you truly are delicious—won’t you consider keeping me?” She fluttered her lashes, “Or I could keep you instead.”

Jin Youqian: “...”

#What should I do about a rogue woman who’s always flirting and taking liberties with me? Urgent advice needed!#

“Mr. Jin, I’m off now.” Seeing he was still a bit dazed, Song Wan suppressed her laughter, turned, and left the lounge.

If she stayed any longer, it would delay the opening ceremony.

Jin Youqian snapped back to reality at her departure, but the room was already empty, his eyes swirling with tumultuous emotion.

Was he out of his mind? Why did he always let Song Wan catch him off guard?

Grinding his teeth in frustration, he vowed to himself: next time, he would kiss her first, leaving her breathless!

Song Wan, eyes sparkling with mischief, bounded over. Qian Fu, observing her, was secretly amazed, finally understanding Jin Youqian’s odd behavior during the audition.

Catching Qian Fu’s gaze, Song Wan smiled at him. Qian Fu’s eyes flickered, his heart fluttering uncontrollably.

Truly a woman capable of conquering Mr. Jin—what a rare find!

A moment later, everyone lined up before the offering table. Qian Fu called out, “Offer respects to the gods—”

Incense smoke curled through the air. The cast and crew bowed their heads in solemn prayer, hoping for a smooth shoot.

The media waited patiently to one side. Only after the rites did they surge towards the main creative team.

The two leads were the focus, and Song Wan, with her significant role and striking looks, appeared in several shots, giving audiences an early glimpse of her.

Jin Youqian, however, never appeared before the media, remaining in the lounge throughout.

With the opening ceremony concluded without a hitch, the main event began—

The filming of the first scene.

To ensure a good omen and to avoid giving reporters any scandal to write about, the first scene was always kept simple.

Even Qian Fu, who admired Song Wan, dared not get creative here. He chose the scene where the male and female leads first meet.

In the beginning, before the passage of time had left its mark, the talented scholar and the beautiful maiden meet at a poetry gathering, awed by each other’s wit and charm. The scholar gazes from afar, the maiden bows her head with a gentle smile.

Both Huayu and Ling Yang delivered skillful performances, passing easily.

A smooth first scene was expected—any mishap would’ve been strange. Qian Fu felt nothing unusual, waved them off, and called, “Next scene, Liu Ya meets the heroine!”

Exchanging a glance, Huayu and Ling Yang concealed their dark emotions. Huayu headed to the makeup room to change, while Ling Yang calmly took a seat nearby.

Song Wan also entered the makeup room.

When they signed their contracts, the cast had learned who would play each role. Originally, they’d thought little of Song Wan and Jin Yue, both newcomers in important parts. But now, seeing Song Wan cast in the second scene of the opening…

It signaled that this newcomer must have some real skill.

Normally the media would be ushered out after the first scene, but since no one moved, they weren’t about to remind anyone—happily lingering on set.

“Who is this new girl? Why is she in the opening?”

“Her name is Song Wan; she’s playing the antagonist.”

“Song Wan? Never heard of her. A newcomer getting such a big part? She must have someone backing her.”

“She’s so good-looking—even if she doesn’t have anyone now, she’ll have plenty of backers soon enough.” He paused, adopting a lofty air. “I just hope, you know, that her acting and attitude are decent.”

His companion sighed in agreement, wearing the same expression. “Yeah, after years of documenting celebrity scandals, I’m honestly sick of it. Especially those idol types—tsk, tsk…”

He sneered, “Just look at that face. Does she look like she can act? Or behave herself?”

“Uh…”

“Enough, Huayu’s coming out!”

The first man stopped mid-sentence and turned, eyes widening in amazement. “Director Qian is going all out this time!”

Huayu appeared, hair styled in an elaborate bun, cheeks adorned with peach-blossom makeup, wearing a water-red ruqun. As she walked toward them, her skirt and hairpins swayed, shimmering like clouds and smoke, her jewelry clinking musically.

For a moment, all eyes followed her every move, entranced, transported to a glorious bygone era.

In the earlier scene, Huayu and Ling Yang had worn the more formal attire suitable for a poetry gathering. Beautiful, yes, but nothing surprising to industry veterans used to lavish palace dramas.

Now, Huayu wore a simple everyday dress, seemingly plain in color and design. But those with a discerning eye saw gold and silver thread embroidered in exquisite patterns at her cuffs and hem—subtle, but sparkling in the sunlight, perfectly befitting her character’s noble status.

Clearly, the production had spared no expense.

But what truly startled everyone was the woman who followed Huayu—Song Wan.

Her appearance was utterly ordinary. Standing beside Huayu, no one would doubt she was a maid.

Her makeup was understated, her clothes plain, yet when she smiled, hearts pounded wildly…

If Huayu’s beauty was accentuated by her attire and makeup, Song Wan was the opposite—her presence elevated the costume itself. On her, a maid’s uniform looked as dazzling as a royal robe.

The crowd began to realize why Qian Fu had cast a newcomer in this role. Some, unable to resist, raised their cameras and began snapping away.

But, surprisingly, Qian Fu showed little reaction at the sight of Song Wan. “What are you dawdling for? Get over here and start the scene!”