Chapter 27: Rehearsing the Scene

Fu Shuhua, as styled by Zhou Yu, had soft, voluminous light brown curls that fell carelessly over his shoulders. Under the warm yellow studio lights above, his hair shimmered with golden hues. He wore a well-tailored outfit that accentuated his tall and upright figure.

Every movement he made exuded a lazy yet captivating charm, as if he had stepped out from a Renaissance oil painting—an aristocratic gentleman of old.

My heart pounded wildly. Fu Shuhua was handsome to begin with, but this look brought out a completely different aura in him, one I had never witnessed before.

His deep-set brows, high nose bridge, and sensuous thin lips framed a remarkably handsome face. Every frown and smile carried a unique French romanticism that was intoxicating and impossible to resist.

Ah... I let out a long breath, my cheeks flushing even more. Even Shen Baibai couldn’t help but stifle a chuckle: “Sister, show some restraint!”

The director joked from the side, “Jiang Dian, get yourself together. We’re starting soon—you can’t be like this!”

Today’s scene was the first meeting between Fang Er, played by me, and Zhou Yu, played by Fu Shuhua.

In the story, Fang Er has just arrived in France to study and accidentally damages Zhou Yu’s newly purchased coat. Feeling deeply guilty, she begs for a chance to make amends.

After three days and nights of painstakingly repairing the torn coat, Fang Er brings it back to Zhou Yu—only to find that he has already forgotten who she is.

To Zhou Yu, a mere coat was insignificant; it didn’t even amount to the cost of one lavish dinner he might throw for his friends. He never took Fang Er’s promise to repair it seriously.

When Fang Er arrived at his door, Zhou Yu mistook her for a woman trying to seduce him, hoping to gain something, and he leered at her insolently.

Fang Er rebuked Zhou Yu’s lewdness, calling it an insult to her dignity.

The set was nearly complete, and Fu Shuhua and I sat on chairs, listening to the director explain the scene.

“At this moment, Fang Er deeply dislikes Zhou Yu. In your performance, you must convey that disgust, alongside Fang Er’s pride and inner spirit.”

I nodded repeatedly, adjusting my mood.

As an actor, besides good looks, professional skill is crucial.

By the time the director finished, I had mostly composed myself, and my expression toward Fu Shuhua had returned to normal.

“Very good. Miss Jiang is very professional. Makeup artist, touch up her makeup. We’ll start filming in ten minutes,” the director said, rising from his seat.

No sooner had he left than Fu Shuhua leaned in close, almost whispering in my ear, “Miss Jiang, you recover so quickly—it’s truly professional. After all... I know you’ve always liked handsome men.”

His warm breath brushed against my ear, but this time I remained unmoved.

“Let’s see if, besides looks, President Fu’s acting can also captivate,” I said coolly.

I had to admit, Fu Shuhua’s acting was indeed exquisite, portraying Zhou Yu’s gentleness and deep affection with vivid intensity.

Several scenes went smoothly with almost no retakes.

“Cut!” Director Chen exclaimed excitedly. “Excellent! Both actors delivered their performances perfectly!”

I leaned forward to watch the monitor.

On screen, I displayed Fang Er’s passion and independence just right. The chemistry between Fu Shuhua and me sparked brilliantly; even the crew was mesmerized.

“Teacher Jiang, take a break,” the director said approvingly.

The remaining three or four scenes mainly involved Shen Baibai and the second male lead, so I returned to the studio to rest.

As soon as I grabbed my phone, I immediately sent Gu Yan a WeChat message: “Why is Fu Shuhua the male lead in this drama? Senior?”