The car door opened and closed, bringing in a cool breeze.
Jiang Siyan whispered to the driver to start the car, closed the partition, and carefully pulled Su Er, whose head was resting on the other side, into his arms.
The flower that was tucked behind my ear fell onto the car seat, its petals scattered haphazardly.
Su Er nuzzled against his chest twice, then found a more comfortable position to hug his waist, inhaling the pleasant tobacco scent emanating from him. Without opening her eyes, she asked groggily, "Are you done talking?"
Jiang Siyan kissed her hair. "Hmm, did I wake you up?"
Her voice was soft and gentle, without a trace of temper. She said, "No, I just dozed off for a bit and am about to wake up."
Jiang Siyan held her in his arms; she was a soft, warm bundle. He gently stroked her delicate arm with his palm, and her skin, which had been cool, gradually warmed up.
The scenery outside the window flashed by. Jiang Siyan rested his chin on the top of her head and asked seductively, "Come to my place?"
Su Er refused without even thinking, "No! I made an appointment with Sister Qin, she said she would pick me up tomorrow morning."
Jiang Siyan couldn't help but laugh, "What, can't I pick you up when you come to my place?"
Su Er stretched out her fingertips and traced them up his chest, stopping at the nape of his neck and lightly tapping twice, as if they were just unintentional drops of water.
She tilted her head slightly, her face beaming with a smile, and asked, "Old comrade, if I sleep with you, can you resist the temptation?"
Jiang Siyan laughed freely and affectionately, "Now that there's no one around, you've become bolder and are trying to provoke me, Er'er."
Fearing that things might get out of hand if they continued talking, Su Er quickly and properly put her hands down, not daring to move again. She mumbled sleepily, "I'm sleepy, I'm sleepy. Hold me and I'll sleep for a while."
In the quiet carriage, the warm breath beside her was like a lullaby, and in her drowsy state, Su Er heard Jiang Siyan ask, "After the audition, how about moving in with me?"
Her voice sounded a little tired, "No, I'm not moving. I'm used to living alone in Beicheng. I won't be comfortable with another person coming in."
Jiang Siyan laughed upon hearing this, "Is it because my place isn't big enough?"
Su Er knew her excuses were clumsy, so she brushed it off and said, "No, no, anyway, I'm not moving."
Jiang Siyan pinched the tip of her nose and twisted it lightly, leaving a faint red mark. "Go ahead and argue with me."
The car drove down the mountain, and one light after another flashed before her eyes. Su Er opened her eyes, and the drowsiness she had felt earlier had vanished.
She lowered her eyes, questioning herself inwardly what she was afraid of.
Perhaps it was fear that being too close would easily cause one's heart to lose its guard.
Out of fear, she would confine herself to that small courtyard, longing to see him day after day.
The car came to a stop, and Su Er put her hat and mask back on. She held his face and kissed him reluctantly. "I'm here. Let's go back now."
Jiang Siyan held her wrist tightly, "Aren't you going to invite me upstairs for a seat?"
Su Er glared at him, questioning him with slight displeasure: "So skilled, huh? Do many people invite Mr. Jiang upstairs at this time?"
Jiang Siyan chuckled, "What kind of jealousy is this? Aren't you afraid of getting your teeth sour?"
Su Er pouted, "Fine, I'll eat!"
She wanted to say a few more sarcastic remarks, but the light in front of her suddenly dimmed.
My trembling eyelids felt the warmth of her lips, then her nose, and finally her lips...
He chuckled softly and asked, "I only like you, okay?"
When Su Er got out of the car, her red lips under her mask looked slightly swollen. After taking a couple of steps, she turned back and waved, "I'm going back!"
"Okay, I'll watch you go in before I leave."
Su Er jogged into the hotel and walked towards her room while scrolling through her phone.
Just as I was informing Lin Shuqin, a text message suddenly popped up.
It was written in a somewhat crazy yet familiar tone: 【Er'er, I really like you so much!】
Su Er frowned slightly and decisively blocked the number.
*
Early in the morning, Lin Shuqin came to pick her up on time.
Fortunately, the audition required her to be without makeup; otherwise, given the distance, she would have had to get up in the early hours of the morning.
In the car, Lin Shuqin handed her the coffee and patted her on the back, "Baby, don't be nervous later."
Su Er nearly choked on her coffee when she heard Lin Shuqin address her. She said tactfully, "Sister Qin, I might feel a little more at ease if you don't call me 'baby'."
Lin Shuqin, who was holding a tissue to wipe her mouth, paused for a second, then pinched her arm and scolded, "You brat!"
Upon hearing this, Su Er thought, "Hmm, that makes sense."
Agents were not allowed in the audition area; the actors sat together and entered in twos and threes.
Before the director arrives, actors who know each other will choose seats together.
Su Er didn't know many people, so she chose a corner spot, lowered her head, closed her eyes, and prepared herself emotionally.
She remained silent for a long time when a strong floral fragrance suddenly filled her nostrils, forcing Su Er to open her eyes.
What catches the eye is a pair of high heels from Dior's early spring collection.
"Su Er?" the man called out tentatively.
Su Er raised her head and met the person's arrogant gaze. Upon closer inspection, Su Er recognized her as Miss Li, the one who had previously said that the role had already been decided.
She greeted her with a smile, "Hello, Ms. Li, would you like to sit inside?"
Li Ling didn't sit down immediately. He looked her up and down with an unfriendly gaze, and finally let out a light sneer: "You are quite pretty, no wonder the Jiang family dotes on you."
Su Er's face remained completely expressionless; she acted as if she hadn't heard anything and calmly looked away.
Li Ling sat down directly to her right, her voice loud and clear, "Actually, I didn't want to come to today's audition. After all, with that person paving the way for you, this audition is just a formality. But why don't you want the female lead role?"
Upon hearing her words, the other actors sitting nearby couldn't help but turn their heads and cast disdainful yet envious glances at Su Er.
Su Er had been mentally prepared for this the moment she agreed to be with Jiang Siyan.
In the arena of fame and fortune, who borrows whose influence, and who rises to the top by relying on whom?
Such rumors, especially among actresses, seem to have become a consensus.
Even now, many accomplished predecessors are still subject to criticism when mentioned, with people commenting on their unfounded gossip.
That's just how the social environment is, so Su Er doesn't care about what others say or how they evaluate her.
She doesn't need to prove her innocence, nor does she need to foolishly pursue the reputation that her relationship with Jiang Siyan is a normal one.
She has always only sought to do things that she could be proud of.
Su Er asked in a flat tone, "Who is the person Miss Li mentioned who cleared the way for me?"
Li Ling dared not actually mention Jiang Siyan's name, and sneered, saying, "You know the answer yourself."
Su Er glanced at her, without any contempt, and advised, "Miss Li, auditions are about real skills. Instead of making assumptions based on your own assumptions, you should hone your acting skills."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com