It’s an Extra Chapter
Yin and Xia Chapter 8
Kissed Her Once
The new show officially began filming.
Yin Ruxu’s first scene was acting opposite1 Sang Yidan.
The two of them passed in a single take.
The director was extremely satisfied. His gaze toward Yin Ruxu held surprise and approval.
Even the others present hadn’t expected a flower vase2 who’d gotten ahead on her looks to have such good acting skills. Crucially, she wasn’t the least bit intimidated acting opposite Sang Yidan.
After they finished the scene, the two sat off to the side to rest.
Sang Yidan was surrounded by a crowd of people holding an umbrella for her, handing her water, and touching up her makeup. Her entourage3 was enormous.
In contrast, Yin Ruxu only had her assistant, Chen-jie, and used the makeup artist provided by the production team.
The difference in their status4 was obvious.
“Miss Yin, you’re truly impressive. Why don’t you share your secret for getting acquainted with a big boss?” Sang Yidan said with a smile, every word dripping with sarcasm.
Yin Ruxu’s expression didn’t change. She took a sip of water and said softly, “Yidan-jie is so impressive, you must have your own shortcuts. You wouldn’t need to rely on your own efforts like the rest of us common folk, would you?”
Hearing this, Sang Yidan’s smile vanished.
The corner of Yin Ruxu’s lip curled up in a pure, innocent smile. “Yidan-jie, who knows if there are any puppy5 hiding around here. It would be terrible if someone took some unflattering photos and started rumors that the main and supporting roles don’t get along.”
Her voice was soft and gentle, but to Sang Yidan’s ears, it was like the grating sound of nails on a chalkboard.
Sang Yidan suppressed her anger and quickly put on a professional smile.
A sudden commotion erupted not far away as a luxurious but understated car appeared.
Xia Ke stepped out of the car.
Yin Ruxu immediately shot to her feet and jogged over, overjoyed.
In front of everyone, she wrapped her arms around Xia Ke’s neck and said softly, “President Xia, what are you doing here?”
Xia Ke’s brow furrowed, but she didn’t push her away.
Seeing this, Sang Yidan’s face turned ashen with rage.
The director immediately halted filming and called for everyone to receive Xia Ke.
Seeing this, Yin Ruxu obediently let go, standing to the side as she talked and laughed pleasantly.
She glanced in Sang Yidan’s direction, tilted her head, and smiled faintly. Her delicate features looked completely harmless, yet the look was full of aggression.
Sang Yidan clenched her jaw, taking a deep breath to calm herself.
“President Xia, what brings you here?” the director asked, beaming.
Before he’d even finished speaking, someone had already brought a chair for Xia Ke.
Xia Ke waved a hand dismissively. Her expression was stern as she said, “I was just passing by and thought I’d drop in. If Miss Yin makes any mistakes, please feel free to correct her. Do not feel awkward just because she’s an artist under my banner.”
“Miss Yin is naturally gifted and intelligent, and she’s willing to bear hardships and endure labor.6 I haven’t had enough time to praise her, how could I possibly scold her?” the director said with a satisfied smile.
Xia Ke nodded. “I’ll leave her in your hands, then. I have other matters to attend to.”
“Of course, President Xia. Please, don’t let us keep you,” the director said, breathing a sigh of relief internally.
Xia Ke turned to leave.
Yin Ruxu hesitated for a moment, then reached out and grabbed Xia Ke’s hand.
Xia Ke looked back, a flash of astonishment in her pale blue eyes.
Yin Ruxu looked up, quickly planted a kiss on that indifferent face, and said with a sweet smile, “Bye-bye, President Xia.”
With that, she let go, her delicate face a picture of pure innocence.
Xia Ke’s heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her cold expression as she walked away.
She got into the car and looked at Yin Ruxu through the window. That face, with its smile like a blooming flower7, overlapped with memories from the past.
Her icy eyes couldn’t help but soften.
Yin Ruxu watched the luxury car disappear before walking back to her seat.
She picked up her script and began to read, feeling cheerful.
Sang Yidan stood nearby, her voice tight with suppressed rage. “To throw yourself into her arms8 in front of so many people—do you not know shame?”
“Everyone knows President Xia is my gold master.9 Why should I hide it?” Yin Ruxu gave a soft laugh, her face showing no trace of the shame of being kept.10 She paused, then lowered her voice. “That was just a kiss. President Xia and I have done things far more intimate, I don’t even know how many times.”
“You…” Sang Yidan’s defenses were broken11 by her words. She raised her hand to strike.
Yin Ruxu’s gaze was fearless. She didn’t flinch or dodge, simply asking with a look of pure innocence, “Yidan-jie, did I say something to make you angry?”
Sang Yidan froze. She lowered her hand and said coldly, “Don’t get cocky. One day, you won’t be able to smile anymore.”
With that, she stormed off with her team, her face a mask of fury.
Yin Ruxu pressed her lips together, suppressing the panic in her heart.
They still had a scene with a counterpart that afternoon, and Sang Yidan’s sudden departure forced the director to change the schedule on the fly. He could have yelled at Yin Ruxu and made her apologize to get Sang Yidan back. But Xia Ke’s arrival had made it clear that Yin Ruxu was not someone he could scold. He had no choice but to film other people’s scenes first.
After finishing the afternoon’s filming, Yin Ruxu went to the minivan to rest, since she still had a night scene to shoot. She was a bit exhausted from having so many scenes scheduled on the very first day, but she didn’t ask the production team for a break.
After a simple dinner, Yin Ruxu began reviewing her lines for the evening, running through her performance with the script ahead of time.
Chen-jie hurried over, looking flustered. “Yin-jie,” she said urgently, “something’s come up at home. I have to go back for a bit, but I’ll definitely be back before your scene is over.”
“Okay,” Yin Ruxu nodded. She glanced around. “It’s hard to get a cab here. Have the driver take you.”
Chen-jie hesitated for a moment, then looked so grateful she was on the verge of tears. “Thank you, Yin-jie. You’re such a good person.”
Hearing this, Yin Ruxu’s lips curved slightly, but she did not offer an opinion.
She knew perfectly well she’d never been a good person. Before meeting Xia Ke, she’d had only one dream in life: to marry a rich man, escape her life of poverty, and never be laughed at again. She was skilled at trading her beauty for material things, reveling in the sense of superiority that designer brands brought her, living day in and day out in a vanity that was like living as if drunk and dying as if in a dream.12 Xia Ke’s appearance was like a ray of light, waking her from a filthy and unbearable13 haze and guiding her back to the right path in life. After signing with Xia Corporation, she could have replaced Chen-jie, the agent who had been with her for three years, and gotten a better one. But her conscience put a stop to that idea. She didn’t want to do something so much like forgetting favors and betraying trust again.
By the time the night scene was finished, it was already past midnight.
Yin Ruxu removed her makeup and hair styling with the production team, then opened her phone to see a message from Chen-jie sent two hours earlier, saying she would be a little late.
She called the number back. After a moment, someone picked up.
“Yin-jie, I’m so sorry, I’m still not done handling the emergency over here…” Chen-jie said, her voice full of apology and hoarse from crying.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get a cab back myself,” Yin Ruxu said in a gentle tone.
She hung up and walked out of the changing room alone.
A moment later, someone approached her with an ingratiating smile. “Miss Yin, if you don’t mind, you could ride back to the hotel with us.”
Yin Ruxu tilted her head and saw it was a female actor she didn’t recognize.
She gave a polite smile and declined. “Thank you, but I’ve already called a car.”
The words had barely left her mouth when Xia Ke’s car appeared nearby.
Yin Ruxu started, then ran over. Before she could speak, Xia Ke said coldly, “Get in.”
“President Xia, what are you doing here?” Yin Ruxu asked cautiously as she got into the car. Her eyes were sparkling with a joy she couldn’t hide.
Xia Ke didn’t answer, her gaze fixed ahead, as cold as ice and frost.
Yin Ruxu’s eyes darkened.14 She bit her lip and stole a glance at the person beside her.
Xia Ke felt that timid gaze on her. Looking out at the scenery, she asked, “How was filming today?”
“I passed almost every take on the first try,” Yin Ruxu said happily, lifting her head to openly stare at that beautiful side profile. “Even the director praised my acting and said I was professional.”
After saying that, she realized she sounded too proud and quickly reined in her smile, adding in a small voice, “I know the director was just encouraging me. I’ll be sure to humbly learn from my seniors and do a good job in this show.”
“Mm,” Xia Ke replied coolly, without turning her head.
A pang of disappointment hit Yin Ruxu. The courage she’d had to kiss Xia Ke in front of everyone that day now felt like a fragile seed, buried deep in her heart, too afraid to sprout. She lowered her gaze, stealing glances from time to time.
After dropping Yin Ruxu off at her apartment, Xia Ke left immediately, without so much as a word of goodbye.
Yin Ruxu’s mood instantly plummeted into dejection and sorrow.
She returned to her apartment, washed up, and lay down on her bed.
Her body and mind were exhausted, yet she felt no desire to sleep. Two conflicting thoughts were at war in her mind, like heaven and man at war.15 One told her that Xia Ke still liked her. The other told her that Xia Ke was just getting revenge and would one day grow tired of this game.
Yin Ruxu sighed, closed her eyes, and told herself not to let her imagination run wild.16 But she couldn’t control the emotions in her heart. She wasn’t sleepy at all.
After tossing and turning for a long time, Yin Ruxu picked up her phone, wanting to message Xia Ke. She mulled it over for ages, finally typing out a line of text. But when it came time to send it, she hesitated, unable to bring herself to press the send button.
A message popped up on her phone. It was from Chen-jie. “Yin-jie, did you make it back to the apartment?”
“Mm.” Yin Ruxu deleted her drafted message and replied to Chen-jie.
“That’s good. I’m so sorry about today, something happened with my family,” Chen-jie explained anxiously.
“I’m not busy for the next couple of days. Go take care of your family,” Yin Ruxu replied, her mind still tangled up over Xia Ke’s feelings.
“Yin-jie, thank you so much. I’ll handle my family matters as quickly as I can.”
Yin Ruxu looked at the gratitude between the lines and smiled faintly.
She thought for a moment, then mustered her courage and sent a message to Xia Ke. “President Xia, thank you for driving me back.”
“Not asleep yet?” Xia Ke replied in seconds, then quickly retracted the message.
A jolt of energy shot through Yin Ruxu. She sat up in bed and typed quickly, “President Xia, you’re not asleep either?”
The faint light from the screen illuminated her smiling face and her slightly trembling fingertips.
A long time passed, but no reply came.
The smile on Yin Ruxu’s face faded. She sighed in disappointment, lay back down, and scrolled through their chat history.
They used to be able to talk about anything, but now all that was left was formulaic17 communication. The words she typed most often were ‘President Xia’; the word Xia Ke typed most often was ‘Mm’.
Even though the text exuded an icy chill, Yin Ruxu couldn’t stop herself from reading it over and over again.
She didn’t fall asleep until dawn.
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