I really didn't intend to make a living based on my looks.

Chapter 100 Gossip and Azusa's First On-Screen Kiss

Rumors spread faster than lunchboxes on a film set.

The dressing room.

Sister Li was tidying up the painting when her phone buzzed.

She glanced at it and saw a WeChat message from Xiao Wang in the costume department: "Sister Li, Sister Li, have you heard? Brother Chen asked the director to add more scenes!"

Sister Li replied with a dismissive "Oh".

What's so strange about adding scenes? Which lead actor hasn't had scenes added?

The next second, Xiao Wang sent another message: "They added a kissing scene."

Sister Li suddenly realized that she could smell the melon.

"With whom?"

"Little Monkey Purple!"

Sister Li stared at the screen, her mouth agape in a perfect "O" shape.

Tea stall.

Aunt Zhou, the tea lady on set, was pouring cold tea for several lighting technicians.

The lighting technician, Da Tou, took the cup, took a sip, and lowered his voice: "Sister Zhou, have you heard?"

"What?"

"Brother Chen, ask the director to add a kissing scene."

Old Zhou almost dropped the teapot in his hand: "Brother Chen? Jiang Chen? Doesn't he never add extra scenes?"

"They didn't just add any ordinary scene," Big Head winked, "it's a kissing scene! With Little Monkey!"

Old Zhou's eyes widened like copper bells: "Xia Xue? I watched that girl grow up on the show, isn't she still a child?"

""

"What kid? He's already nineteen."

"I watched Nineteen grow up too!"

Big Head chuckled and fell silent.

The costume team girls crowded behind the clothes racks, pretending to tidy up the costumes, their ears perked up.

"I heard that it was Brother Chen who took the initiative to talk to the director and said that there weren't enough romantic scenes and that they needed to be added."

"No way, you all know what kind of person Brother Chen is. He's usually so serious."

"Serious? Would someone with a serious personality actively request additional kissing scenes?"

"With whom? With Zuo Xiaoqing?"

"Are you crazy! Sister Zuo is a married woman! And with Yang Zi!"

"Yang Zi? The Yang Zi from 'Nation's Daughter'?"

"Her."

"Brother Chen—he—he could actually do that?"

"Who knows? Young people, they're hot-tempered. Look at the two of them on set, always bickering and joking around, they've long since—"

Later, someone else chimed in: "I heard that Brother Chen not only requested more kissing scenes, but also more bed scenes."

"Really? Who told you that?"

"That's what Lao Zhang from the props team said."

"Old Zhang is never reliable."

"But this time he spoke with great conviction, saying that Brother Chen had even prepared a campervan, saying that he could go up there to rest after filming—"

""

"Do you have some misconceptions about RVs?"

"That's because you don't understand! You think actors prepare RVs just to rest? Let me tell you, you'll understand after you've been in the industry for a few more years. Many things will overturn your worldview."

Outside the monitor booth.

Two girls from the coordination team squatted on the steps, one peeling an apple and the other scrolling through her phone.

The person scrolling through their phone suddenly looked up: "The group chat is exploding."

"What are you frying?"

"It is said that Brother Chen asked the director to make up for all the unfilmed romantic scenes between Hu Xiangxiang and Gu Qingming, including—the scene of their consummation of their marriage."

"—That's so exciting? Really?"

"It's true, the assistant director's team said that the director has agreed."

"The director agreed? Someone as serious as the director, could he really agree to this?"

"That depends on who brings it up. If it's Brother Chen who brings it up, how could the director disagree? Who is Brother Chen? He's the director's darling."

"What about Yang Zi? Did Yang Zi agree?"

"I heard it was Yang Zi who relayed the message."

"??? She uploaded it to herself?"

"It's said that Brother Chen spoke to Yang Zi first, and then Yang Zi went to find the director. So think about it carefully."

"What am I judging? What I'm judging is that Brother Chen seems to be a bit of a jerk."

"Is he handsome?"

"handsome."

"Being handsome doesn't mean you're a jerk, it means you're a womanizer."

"—I suggest you see a doctor about your values."

As Jiang Chen walked down the street, the entire film crew looked at him strangely.

To be honest, kissing scenes and bed scenes are nothing new to the crew; they're just basic stuff.

Actors are just acting, what's a little kiss?

Some even turned their fake relationship into a real one.

However, Yang Zi is the nation's daughter, so she's a little different.

Everyone watched her grow up. "Home with Kids" aired for eight years, and we watched Xia Xue's round face from when she was twelve to when she was nineteen, just like watching our neighbor's daughter.

Suddenly I'm going to be kissed?

It's like someone trying to steal your cabbage.

That feeling was somewhat complicated and subtle, carrying a sense of indignation, like "Why is my cabbage being eaten by a pig?"

Jiang Chen was like that pig being watched by the whole village at that moment.

He sighed and pushed open the door to shed A.

The lights inside the shed have been set up.

Kong Sheng sat behind the monitor, holding a script, communicating with the cameraman about camera positions.

Seeing Jiang Chen come in, he waved.

"come over."

Jiang Chen walked over and stood next to the monitor.

Kong Sheng handed him the script and pointed to a section.

"Ah Chen, we just discussed it for a while and we're going to add this kissing scene to the scene where you say goodbye in the trenches."

Jiang Chen looked down at the script.

"Gu Qingming received orders to go to the front lines, and you said goodbye in the trenches. Hu Xiangxiang told you to be careful and was about to turn away when you grabbed her and pulled her into your arms."

"Kiss the forehead first, then the cheek, and finally the lips."

"You're right. If it's just talk and hugs, the emotional progression isn't quite there. In wartime, every farewell could be the last. This kiss isn't romantic; it's restraint. It's not demanding; it's about being reluctant to let go."

Jiang Chen opened his mouth, as if to say something.

He absolutely did not say that.

He's even more wronged than Dou E!

His gaze unconsciously drifted past Kong Jin's shoulder and toward a corner of the shed.

Yang Zi was sitting in that folding chair, holding a script in her hand, pretending to read it.

She kept glancing this way, but when her eyes met Jiang Chen's, she would quickly dart back like a startled rabbit, her ears turning as red as if they were about to bleed.

Jiang Chen looked at her guilty expression and swallowed the words he was about to say.

He couldn't very well say in front of everyone, "Actually, it wasn't me who asked to add her; this girl came to you and asked for it herself," could he?

Forget it.

The blame is already on our heads; we have no choice but to take it.

He looked away and nodded to Kong Sheng: "Okay, director, we'll do it your way."

Kong Sheng patted him on the shoulder, then turned and picked up the walkie-talkie: "All teams, prepare to move to trench scene."

The trench scene is on the edge of the Republic of China city. It is a section of semi-underground fortification that has been dug, with rammed earth walls, sandbags piled up, and a layer of dry soil spread on the ground.

The lighting crew set up softboxes around the perimeter, and the light shone from the sides, creating distinct lines of light and shadow in the trenches.

Jiang Chen changed into his costume and stood in the trench waiting.

His military uniform was covered in dust, and the makeup artist had deliberately deepened his facial contours, making him look more haggard and bearing the marks of war.

When Yang Zi came out of the dressing room, her steps were noticeably slower than usual.

She was wearing Hu Xiangxiang's coarse blue jacket, her hair was a little messy, and her face was covered with a thin layer of ash.

This effect was deliberately created by the makeup artist; civilians in the midst of war shouldn't be clean.

But the blush on her face was something a makeup artist couldn't create.

She walked to the edge of the trench, glanced at Jiang Chen, and then quickly lowered her head.

"That—Xiao Chenzi."

"Um?"

"I—I've never filmed a kissing scene."

"I know."

"Don't laugh at me if I don't take good pictures."

She took a deep breath and clenched her fists, as if to encourage herself.

Kong Sheng's voice came from behind the monitor: "Silence! Scene 47, Scene 3, Action!"

The sound of the clapperboard rang out.

Yang Zi got into character much faster than Jiang Chen had expected.

The moment she looked up, her eyes changed.

Hu Xiangxiang's eyes reddened, her lips trembled slightly, and looking at the man in front of her who was about to go to the front line, a thousand words were stuck in her throat. In the end, she could only squeeze out one sentence: "Gu Qingming—you—be careful."

As soon as she turned around, Jiang Chen reached out, grabbed her wrist, and gently pulled it.

Yang Zi was pulled into his arms, her body bumping against his chest. For a moment, her body stiffened noticeably.

But Jiang Chen did not stop.

He lowered his head and his lips touched her forehead.

Yang Zi closed her eyes, her whole body tense to the point of bursting.

The second kiss landed on her cheek.

Her face was burning hot; you could feel the heat even through the thin layer of foundation.

The third kiss —

The moment Jiang Chen's lips touched the corner of her mouth, Yang Zi recoiled as if she had been electrocuted.

"Card!"

Kong Sheng's voice came through the walkie-talkie, tinged with a hint of helplessness.

"Xiangxiang, he's kissing you, not biting you. Why are you cowering?"

Someone couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.

Yang Zi's face turned as red as a boiled crab. She covered her face with her hands, peeking out from between her fingers to glare at Jiang Chen: "You—your lips are so cold! You startled me!"

Jiang Chen said expressionlessly, "Yeah, it's my fault. I should have warmed it up before kissing."

The staff members next to them laughed even louder.

Kong Sheng sighed: "Let's do it again."

the second time.

Forehead, that's enough.

Cheeks, past.

mouth----

Yang Zi's lips were tightly pressed together, and she remained frozen in Jiang Chen's arms, completely still.

"Cut!" Kong Sheng's voice rang out again, "Xiangxiang, have you been kidnapped? Relax your mouth."

Yang Zi opened her lips and looked at Jiang Chen with a pitiful expression: "I—I was nervous."

Jiang Chen looked down at her and suddenly felt like laughing.

"Why are you so nervous? I'm not your father."

The moment he said that, the whole audience burst into laughter.

Even Kong Sheng couldn't hold back; the corner of his mouth twitched.

Yang Zi, both embarrassed and angry, punched Jiang Chen in the chest: "Shut up!"

"Again," Kong Sheng's voice returned to calm. "All departments, prepare for the third step."

Article 3.

Forehead, cheeks, mouth —

Yang Zi's lips were still tight, but they were better than last time.

Jiang Chen didn't rush to go deeper, but gently pressed against her, as if waiting for her to relax.

Two seconds later, Yang Zi's body finally went limp.

"Cut! Did it pass?" Yang Zi opened her eyes.

"No," Kong Sheng's voice came from afar, "but you've improved this time, let's try again."

Articles 4, 5, and 6 —

Each one has a different situation.

Jiang Chen could clearly sense that the girl was indeed nervous.

My whole body was stiff, and my palms were sweaty.

The latest time, Jiang Chen did not kiss her directly.

He first cupped her face in his hands, gently stroking it with his thumbs, his gaze fixed on her eyes as if looking at something precious.

"Look at me, don't close your eyes."

Yang Zi's eyelashes trembled, but she still opened them.

"Imagine I am Gu Qingming," he continued, "and you are Hu Xiangxiang. How long have we known each other? Three months. In these three months, I've gone from a high-ranking military officer to someone who worries about you, gets jealous of you, and changes their plans for you."

His thumb moved to the corner of her lips and gently pressed it: "Now, I have to go. I might not come back. You told me to be careful, and I don't want you to leave. So I grabbed you and kissed you."

"You are not Xia Xue, nor are you Yang Zi. You are Hu Xiangxiang, a woman who could lose her lover at any moment. Right now, you're not thinking about what to do if I get kissed, but what to do if he never comes back."

Yang Zi looked at him, and her expression slowly changed.

From tension, to focus, and then to an indescribable emotion.

"Action!"

Jiang Chen leaned down, his lips pressed against her forehead, then moved to her cheek, and finally to her lips.

He didn't kiss her immediately, but stopped there, their noses touching, their breaths mingling.

Yang Zi's body was still stiff, but she didn't flinch.

Her eyes were half-open as she looked at his face so close to hers, her pupils reflecting the light from the ceiling, like pools of water.

Her lips moved, and she leaned forward half an inch.

Their lips touched lightly.

soft.

温。

With a hint of the coolness of the mint she had just eaten —

"Card!"

Kong Sheng's voice came through, carrying a hint of satisfaction: "Passed."

The two separated.

Yang Zi stood there blankly, her fingers unconsciously touching her lips, as if she couldn't believe what had just happened.

Jiang Chen immediately turned around and walked towards the surveillance camera; finally, he could go home.

"Wait," Yang Zi suddenly called out to him, "Director, I—I feel that the previous take wasn't emotionally engaging enough."

Kong Sheng raised an eyebrow: "Oh?"

"I want to—" Yang Zi bit her lip, "to do it again."

You little brat, Zi Mei! I treated you like a brother, and you actually—

This kissing scene took a full three hours to film.

By the end, Jiang Chen's lips were numb from kissing.

Jiang Chen: "————"

And a new round of gossip has begun on set.

"Did you hear? The kissing scene took three hours to film!"

"What? It's just a kiss?"

"Sigh, I heard that Brother Chen is too dedicated to his work, scrutinizing every single detail."

"Wasn't it Zi-mei who requested it?"

"How could that be? It was definitely the guy who took the initiative! Didn't you see the look in Brother Chen's eyes? He looked like he wanted to devour him."

"But I heard from the costume department that Zi Mei volunteered to redo it —"

"What do you know? That's called teamwork! Brother Chen is dedicated, Sister Zi is dedicated, and the two of them are dedicated together for three hours!"

"Do you think they'd have any reaction after kissing like that for hours?"

"Of course!"

"Brother Chen's must be quite big!"

"??????"

Late at night, in a motorhome.

Jiang Chen slumped on the sofa, Yang Mi's face displayed on the computer screen opposite him.

She had just removed her makeup, her face was bare, her hair was messy, and the background was a hotel room.

"Little brother," she said, leaning closer to the screen, squinting her eyes, her face full of confusion.

Why are your lips swollen?

Jiang Chen, utterly dejected, said, "Nothing much, what did Sister Mi want?"

"Did you miss me?"

"I didn't think about it."

"You're so stubborn," Yang Mi poked the screen with her finger, as if poking his face, "Behave yourself on set, be honest."

"But since the female lead in your drama is that little brat Yang Zi, I'm quite relieved."

Jiang Chen: "————"

"I'll come visit you on set in a few days. Is there anything I can bring you?"

"Bring a pair of stockings."

Yang Mi: "————"

"Oh, and I'll give you a surprise later!"