Chapter 73: Game of Life

-

The heatwave was intense, and the incessant chirping of cicadas filled the air.

Even in the early hours of the morning, the heat was still intense.

The staff on site were making a lot of noise, busy with their work. Wen Yining initially thought there were too many strangers and didn't want to waste time talking to him, so she just wanted to send him away. But his carefree, playboy attitude was particularly annoying. She was already irritated, and as they got closer, she could feel each other's body heat. Without thinking, she blurted out, "Don't be so shameless. It's like you've never planted a tree before. Didn't you learn anything when you were with me?"

He glanced at her nonchalantly, "My skills were always pretty good; I didn't improve them by practicing on you."

“…”

She was too lazy to argue, her expression somewhat unnatural, a hint of resentment and reluctance in her eyes. Although she didn't want to admit it, it seemed to be true...

After all, I've never seen what he was like when he was a beginner and did it with other people, or what his experience was like. It's obvious that he practiced with other girls.

Seeing the two of them entangled endlessly, Shi Yuheng put down his script and pen, put his hands on his hips and walked over. He had a mature demeanor and his tone carried the air of an elder. "I can understand young and impetuous people like you. You're worried about your relationship and have to come over to supervise."

Looking at Shen Yueze, she said, "You can come, but you can't talk or affect Wen Yining's performance. Li Wu's boyfriend is quite sensible. He knows there are intimate scenes in this film and doesn't want to upset her, so he simply won't come."

Wen Yining added, "Yes, Li Wu has a girlfriend. I've met her, and they have a very good relationship."

Isn't the concern that she might actually fall for someone else? But even if she has the desire, she doesn't have the guts. It's impossible that she cares about Shi Yuheng; he's as innocent as can be.

Her expression held a hint of awkwardness and guilt, but she didn't show it. She moved a little distance away and pushed him away.

Shen Yueze stared coldly at her, released her wrists, said nothing, casually found an empty recliner and sat down, as if he was determined to keep watching her.

Seeing that the jerk's emotions had stabilized a bit, she stopped paying attention to him, gave him a warning glare, and followed the director to the poolside. Her smooth black hair was loose, tied into a loose bun with a hair tie on her wrist.

She took off her jacket and threw it on the table. She looked down at herself, then awkwardly tugged at her skirt. She felt it was a bit short, so she covered her upper thighs. It would be easy for her to expose herself if she squatted or sat down.

She glanced back anxiously, wondering if the skirt could cover her entire buttocks.

I overheard some comments: "She has a great figure, long and slender legs, almost like a model's..."

"Is she a model?"

"No way, I remember Fang Nong was one, but she wasn't selected, and she has a really good presence."

"Fang Nong even inquired about the director's preferred type of girl last time, hoping to cater to his tastes..."

...

Holding a walkie-talkie, Shi Yuheng adopted a serious demeanor he didn't usually display when he was on duty. Noticing her concerns, he glanced at her thighs and asked, "Are you wearing leggings?"

"I wore it."

Wen Yining straightened her swimsuit and prepared to go into the water. She sat on the edge, dipped her fair legs into the water, and tested the temperature. It was just right, not too cold. The bottom of the pool looked quite clean, as if the crew had cleaned it beforehand. The water was also freshly filled, reaching her chest level.

Li Wu was right in front of her. At first, he didn't need to go into the water. He glanced at the depth of the water next to him and said with concern, "Don't go over there. It's more than two meters deep there. By the way, you can swim, right?"

Wen Yining slowly adapted to the water, her movements were not very free. "I can, but I'm not skilled. I took classes when I was little, but I should never forget what I learned to swim."

"That's good. But be careful not to choke."

-

Li Wu had always been quite considerate of people. After the director coughed twice, he immediately asked his assistant to buy cold medicine and ginger soup. During the week they spent together, Wen Yining had gotten used to his concern and didn't react much.

As they recited their lines, she had to hug his waist. Most of her body was submerged in the pool, and after soaking in the cool water for a few minutes, her agitation subsided and her skin gradually cooled down.

What's puzzling is that his neck and above are still enveloped in an inexplicable heat wave, and his ears are burning and red, which Shi Yuheng sees very clearly on the monitor.

It was mostly because Shen Yueze was present.

However, he didn't call "cut," and he's currently satisfied with the performances of the two actors. Their lines are also good, so they don't need dubbing.

Li Wu forgot his lines as soon as he finished muttering them. Shi Yuheng saw his embarrassed look and knew he was feeling awkward, so he understood and corrected him, "Your tone isn't right, your emotions aren't right. Don't be nervous, Li Wu."

Li Wu hummed in agreement. He had never taken off his clothes in front of so many people before. At least the actresses had swimsuits, but he was naked from the waist up. The key point was that Wen Yining's boyfriend, who was sitting on the deck chair, was staring at them without moving, saying nothing and doing nothing. He was in a lazy and relaxed state, which was quite comfortable.

But he doesn't care about other people's comfort at all, and he's suspected of having an affair with Wen Yining. They can do it anytime, anywhere on set.

To be honest, even though Li Wu knew about the industry's unspoken rules, he wasn't the kind of person driven by lust. He was more interested in becoming famous quickly than acting with beautiful women; deep down, he was driven by a pursuit and desire for fame and fortune.

Shi Yuheng frowned as he stared at the script, which contained a lot of analysis and understanding of the characters. The handwriting was quite nice, clearly a girl's. After thinking for a while, he said, "How about this, delete the second sentence. We don't need it."

"The dialogue is too explicit, it'll all have to be cut in the end, right?"

"It depends on the situation, but at most it will take a little over two hours."

Wen Yining also felt that the lines were a bit difficult to say, but as an actor, one has to overcome any sense of shame. "After this day, they probably discovered each other's hidden feelings."

"Well, you two should let loose a bit. Have a drink before filming next time, but don't drink too much. When I was writing this script, I only had a few sips every day, just enough to get slightly tipsy. Maybe that will spark some unexpected chemistry."

"There's also a scene of drunken indiscretion. Actually, you can't really get out of control when you're really drunk; that's just an excuse. Being half-sober is actually quite fun. It's good. Let's continue, let's continue."

-

During Shi Yuheng's speech, Li Wu turned his head to look and met Shen Yueze's cold and oppressive gaze—

At that moment, Wen Yining had her arms wrapped around Li Wu's waist, her hands caressing the pleasant-smelling skin. The muscles weren't very prominent, but the lines were decent. Her face was extremely close to that organ, and a few drops of water splashed onto it. She pulled out one hand to wipe it, and at the same time, she inevitably touched Li Wu's thigh. Her expression was serious and focused, earnest and attentive, as if she wasn't distracted by anyone unrelated.

Li Wu frowned slightly, clearly seeing the displeasure in the other person's eyes, but on the surface he remained calm and indifferent.

Wanting to move but unable to, being held by someone's girlfriend, of course felt good. Wen Yining is beautiful and has a good figure. What guy wouldn't like this kind of treatment? If it weren't for filming, there wouldn't be many opportunities to get close to her. Shi Yuheng even praised her, saying that her friend was handsome, named Feng Yan, and looked like he was destined to be a star.

I didn't expect to meet someone even more handsome today.

Men's aesthetic standards are quite different from women's. To be considered handsome, one must have strong masculine traits and a strong sense of hormones. Those who are too refined and effeminate are generally considered effeminate.

Shen Yueze belongs to the former category.

-

There were no kissing scenes or bed scenes today; it was just a simple progression of emotions.

But physical contact is inevitable: putting your arm around the waist, shoulder, leg, arm...

Wen Yining felt that Li Wu's men were relatively honest; they didn't touch the parts they shouldn't have. The script wasn't written in too much detail, and it was more up to them to improvise, or for the director to add scenes on the spot. They could act out many details however they wanted.

The people she worked with. If it were that bastard Shen Yueze, who knows how much he would have taken advantage of her.

He forcibly kissed Chen Jiabai in the movie theater before he had even broken up with her.

If she hadn't been so awake, he might have even raped her.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look over with a resentful gaze. He sat back in his chair with an air of nonchalance, looking just like a young master on vacation.

Anyone unaware of the situation would think he was the owner of the villa. He had one arm behind his head, his legs wide open, one knee bent and stepping on the ground, the other on the ground. He looked very relaxed, with an expression of watching a show, exuding a nonchalant yet oppressive aura.

He was also staring at her, his gaze playful yet indifferent.

During the process, Wen Yining couldn't be distracted, and she didn't know if he had left or how much he had seen...?

Look away.

“I used to see online reports that many male celebrities would deliberately grope each other while filming, and I was a little worried about that.”

Shi Yuheng looked at Li Wu and said with a smile, "This is unavoidable. Li Wu is a fairly gentlemanly boy, and he's also very considerate. But you might not meet the same kind of people in the future. You'll have to get to know all sorts of people. No matter what kind of person they are or what kind of personality they have, you'll still have to grit your teeth and work with them. I've also seen some actresses who have been bullied, but there's nothing you can do about it. Cherish your partner."

Li Wu draped a large bath towel over his shoulders, dried himself off, and then handed it to Wen Yining. Seeing that her back was wet, he subconsciously used his own towel to wipe her down, his expression gentle, as if it were only natural.

Halfway through wiping, he suddenly felt something was wrong. Shen Yueze's gaze fell on him as if it were a physical thing, making it impossible for him to calm down.

She whispered, "Your boyfriend seems a little angry?"

"Don't worry about it."

Wen Yining took it back and dried herself off. She wrung out the water from her skirt, which dripped continuously.

Having just come out of the pool, the fabric of my swimsuit was soaked with water and stuck to my skin, making me feel uncomfortable. I slowly adjusted it with my hands, hooking the two straps at the back of my neck, untying them, and then retying a knot. I also wrung out the soaked hem of my skirt.

This attracted the attention of several boys nearby, who stared at her intently, admiring her sexy and shapely figure, each with their own thoughts.

She reluctantly added, "He's not my boyfriend."

Was your brother the first one to arrive?

"Yes, that's my older brother."

After Li Wu finished dressing, he still asked, "Who is this person? He seems to care about you a lot. He was always there when we were filming, which made me a little nervous. I was afraid that I might accidentally touch your chest and anger him again."

Wen Yining deliberately said, "Who cares what he does? Let him watch if he wants to. He can't do anything about it."

What can you do in public?

Shi Yuheng smiled and ignored it, then chatted with Deng Hao, the second male lead, about risqué topics that were of interest to men.

How many sex scenes did they have in total?

Three matches.

"What positions are they?"

"It's easier to film if the woman is on top. Because of the angle, the clothes can cover the key parts, and she can just twist a few times."

"But doggy style is a bit more difficult, it tests their acting skills a bit, but luckily they are both people who have been in relationships, not some clueless virgins."

Deng Hao smiled meaningfully, and Shi Yuheng smiled too. When boys talk about this, even if they are exhausted, they still have the energy to continue the conversation.

Then he asked Li Wu, "Which position do you think goes the deepest?"

"Let's do it from behind."

Shi Yuheng was very knowledgeable: "It depends on the girl's skill. If the girl is skilled, it can be quite enjoyable on top."

"I think the occasion is also very important. It feels more novel in places that you haven't tried before."

Deng Hao stared at Wen Yining as she dressed, his gaze following her movements, from her shoulders and neck to her waist, thighs, and finally her ankles, unable to resist imagining himself acting in a movie with her.

Then, laughing, he said to Li Wu, "What if you get a reaction while filming? You have to be careful. I heard that you have to wrap it with tape?"

Li Wu didn't want to talk about this in front of everyone, "Wearing something tighter is fine too."

"I get a reaction when filming particularly intimate kissing scenes, let alone these kinds of scenes."

"And today? Did you get a reaction today? If not, it means Wen Yining isn't charming enough."

As she spoke, she looked down at his crotch, and saw that Li Wu had already put on his pants.

Wen Yining didn't realize it; she couldn't help but get distracted, thinking about replacing him with Shen Yueze...

He gets a strong response to kissing, and he said that's normal at his age.

Deng Hao then asked Wen Yining with a grin, "Do you have any? I heard that girls can also have a physiological reaction if they film something particularly intense."

"I don't."

"You're not sensitive enough."

Shi Yuheng understood her well and said, "She's not her type."

"What kind of girl does she like?"

Shi Yuheng deliberately glanced across at the other side, "Weren't you sitting there?"

Wen Yining stopped him: "Director."

Seeing that she was unhappy, Shi Yuheng changed the subject.

-

The second male lead, Deng Hao, had been trying to flirt with Wen Yining, but he wasn't her type. After they added each other on WeChat, his attitude was lukewarm and he barely responded to her.

Only someone like Feng Yan could attract her attention and pique her interest.

I can't help but wonder what Feng Yan has been up to lately. He should be in a film crew preparing to shoot a movie. I wonder if things are going well. I plan to ask him about his situation on my phone when I get back.

Shi Yuheng: "That's a wrap. Go home and get some sleep."

Wen Yining put her coat back on, closed the script, packed her sunscreen spray, phone, clothes and necklace rented from the crew, and busied herself with her head down for a while. Stray hairs fell down, and she tucked them behind her ears with her hand.

Her ears were still red, and her whole body felt hot. She had already gotten used to the yellow waste from the film crew.

I've gotten used to it ever since I attended a dinner with my boss.

That day, one of the media company executives pointed at the girl next to him and said, "This is a virgin..."

Their true selves are pretty much the same. Shi Yuheng likes to make Category III films, so how could he be someone who suppresses his desires?

Before leaving,

He also reminded her, "Don't eat too much during this period, otherwise it won't look good when you take close-up shots of your waist. Your waist-to-hip ratio is just right now."

My gaze fell on her slender waist. Her jacket was open, and her tight swimsuit outlined her perfect figure. Her chest was full, and her waist was concave. The lines were smooth and her development was just right.

"But you don't need to diet. You're quite thin. It's good that you don't gain weight because of your body type."

Are there many close-ups?

"Hmm, I think the sexiest part of a woman is here and here." Shi Yuheng gestured with his hand, but didn't touch her.

"So there will be a lot of close-ups, but don't worry, they will either be side views or back views."

After speaking, Shi Yuheng patted her shoulder reassuringly. His actions and tone were quite natural. It was Wen Yining who was the one who was flustered.

The thought of the old man sitting on the deck chair as a supervisor made me feel agitated. I tried to avoid looking at him, but his gaze was fixed on me as if it were a physical thing, and I couldn't hide from him or curse at him.

With a hint of resentment in her eyes, she said, "Why aren't you leaving yet?"

"Didn't I say, let's see how you film this?"

She casually ripped off the hair tie from her bun, put it on her wrist, and tossed her long, fluffy hair. "I'm done for the day."

Two trees were planted in the yard, and the cicadas chirped in waves, extremely clear in the quiet night, like music, accompanying my heartbeat, making it impossible to be calm or composed.

He was someone she couldn't ignore.

It doesn't matter if she's filming kissing or bed scenes with Li Wu or any other guy; she can remain calm and not let her imagination run wild.

But he couldn't do that when facing Shen Yueze.

Shi Yuheng then asked with concern, "Why don't you go to the villa and take a shower?"

"I'll skip the shower and change my clothes inside later."

It was quite late, so her assistant packed her clean clothes into a bag, which also included her underwear. She couldn't just leave in her swimsuit, and the hotel was still a distance away. Seeing that her assistant was also tired, she said, "You should go back and rest."

Shi Yuheng: "You too."

At this moment, Shen Yueze walked over slowly with his hands in his pockets. "Isn't it still going to be shown in theaters? The explicit scenes, even if they're filmed, will all have to be cut anyway."

"But some people will see it, and there will be two versions."

"Lin Ni said that you have to drink with people to get investment, one drinking session after another. How about I invest some money in you? But the sex scenes have to be cut."

Shi Yuheng stared at him, pondered for a moment, and knew that money was definitely a problem. His parents had left him only one house, which had already been mortgaged. In the end, he would most likely have to borrow money from others. But this kind of second-generation rich kid seemed unreliable and was just playing around. He asked, "How much can you give me?"

How much do you need?

"Of course, the more the better. There are ways to shoot with a limited budget."

"But the sex scenes cannot be cut."

Shih Yu-heng remained firm in his attitude and spoke calmly: "I think it's the finishing touch of the movie. I may be short of money, but I can find someone else."

"Others might not spend that much to play along with you."

He glanced at Wen Yining.

Wen Yining didn't understand how much of what he said was true or false. Investing was no small matter. Was she playing along with Shi Yuheng or with her?

Why should I invest if I don't believe in my abilities?

Shen Yueze continued: "Wouldn't you be using art as a pretext to blatantly make pornographic films to satisfy your own perverse tastes?"

"Sex and violence are timeless themes in movies."

"Sex and violence are not."

Shi Yuheng chuckled, "Whether you think it's important or not, it's enough that the people who made the rules think that way."

"Those old men with influence just love watching actresses take their clothes off; whoever they want to win an award, they let win one,"

“I used to be particularly fond of the profession of prostitute. I thought, what's so interesting about this profession that I wanted to film? But the result is what it is.”

"At your age, with no connections and no power, your thoughts and attitudes are irrelevant unless you can change the rules."

"In this world, sex and rights are inextricably linked."

Shi Yuheng paused for a moment, "I don't deny that I had other purposes. I could grab attention by using just a few minutes of screen time to increase discussion and save a lot of publicity effort. Many movies do this, so there's nothing wrong with it."

After saying that, he left.

-

Wen Yining was also preparing to leave, saying, "I don't need your investment; it's not like it's just a matter of tens or hundreds of thousands."

The subtext is simple: the relationship hasn't reached that point, and she doesn't feel she's worth that much money.

He said mockingly, "Yeah, take your clothes off if you want. It's your own fault for letting them have all sorts of fantasies about you."

She ignored him, picked up her tote bag, and went into the villa. The style was popular 20 years ago, but the owner of the villa was quite wealthy. From the ceiling lights to the furniture, everything was imported from that era.

The skirt was still dripping with water, which occasionally flowed down her legs, feeling icy cold. I wandered around inside. There were two restrooms on the first floor. The one in the living room was a bit dirty, and the staff had all come in to use it.

No one had used the master bedroom. After a tiring day, I was about to take a hot shower. I put my bag on the table, took out clean clothes and a towel, and put them on the bed.

Then, with her head down, she untied the tie around her neck, and it came off easily. To prevent any accidental exposure, she was wearing underwear underneath, which was now completely wet.

The swimsuit had just been taken off and thrown on the ground when the closed door was opened. She hurriedly covered her chest with her hands. She had been facing away from the door, but then realized that wasn't a good position. She turned around and saw the person who had come in, which was exactly what she expected. "Why haven't you left yet?"

Shen Yueze walked over with a gloomy face, grabbed her neck without saying a word, and slammed her onto the bed.

Wen Yining frowned, resisting forcefully, feeling the pain almost as intense as the first time. She didn't even get a kiss; instead, he bit her neck. "Get out..."

Even when he wasn't in a good mood before, he would still have something to do.

He asked coldly, "Did you and Shi Yuheng go to bed early?"

She couldn't figure out from which sentence she started to doubt her.

-

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A note from the author:

The views expressed by all characters in the story do not represent the author's own.

To be honest, I don't think this book is anything but beautiful and virtuous [laughing and crying emoji]. I won't even go into Shen Yueze's flaws, there are just too many. Ning gradually becomes unscrupulous in his pursuit of fame and fortune (I won't spoil the rest).

But there is no right or wrong; the world is not simply black and white.

30 red envelopes~