Huayu: You were supposed to be a top star, but you've become capital?

Yang Chaoyue adjusted the lights in the suite's living room to a soft, warm yellow, which dispelled some of the tension from the corridor.

Lin Shen walked to the small refrigerator, took out two bottles of water, and looked back at the two girls still standing at the door.

"What are you standing there for? Come in and sit down."

He sat down on the main sofa, his gaze sweeping over Bai Mengyan's still flushed cheeks and Yang Chaoyue's darting eyes.

Yang Chaoyue immediately pulled Bai Mengyan over, pressed her down to sit on the single sofa to the side, and then plopped down on the footstool next to her, grinning as he spoke:

"Brother Shen, the room is huge, and the view is amazing!"

"Hmm," Lin Shen responded, his gaze falling on Bai Mengyan. "Didn't you have a question to ask?"

"Huh? Oh! Yes, yes, yes!"

Bai Mengyan, like a primary school student whose name has been called upon, frantically tried to rummage through her bag, only to realize she hadn't brought the script. She froze, her face turning even redder.

"I... um..."

Yang Chaoyue was so anxious he was stamping his feet, and quickly tried to salvage the situation:

"Brother Shen, Sister Mengyan is mainly worried about Huo Xiuxiu, who comes from a big family and has a quirky personality. She's afraid that if she plays the role too boldly, she won't be able to control herself."

I'd like to ask you how you strike the right balance, and when acting opposite you, how do you portray the subtle dependence and trust in your character to make it feel natural and unpretentious?

What she said wasn't entirely nonsense; it was indeed a difficult point that Bai Mengyan had pondered in private.

Lin Shen glanced at Bai Mengyan and nodded: "This is an interesting question. Huo Xiuxiu's intelligence and shrewdness stem from her knowledge and family background, not from mere cleverness."

When you're acting, your eyes can be expressive, but your posture needs to be steady. Even in lively scenes, your body language must convey that energy. As for the trust between you and Wu Xie…”

Lin Shen paused for a moment, then continued, "This is not a dependence based on romantic love, but more like dependence on a trustworthy and capable older brother or partner."

Think back to how you felt about someone you particularly admired, or someone you felt could handle anything.

Add this feeling, a touch of curiosity about influential figures in the underworld, and a hint of mischief, and that's about it.

Bai Mengyan didn't really pay attention to the specific acting techniques; her attention was entirely focused on Lin Shen's eyes, which were intently fixed on her.

"Oh...oh! I understand! Thank you, Brother Shen!" Bai Mengyan nodded quickly, afraid that she would be discovered to have been distracted.

As the conversation gradually got on track, Yang Chaoyue rolled his eyes and exclaimed, "Ouch!"

"Oh dear, I'm exhausted today. I was running around with Brother Shen, and then I spent half the day nervously with Sister Mengyan." She exaggeratedly rubbed her shoulders.

"Sister Mengyan, you and Brother Shen can chat for a while. I'm all sweaty, I'm going to take a shower first! You two keep talking, don't worry about me."

After saying that, Yang Chaoyue dashed into the bathroom without giving the two of them any time to react.

With a soft "click," only Lin Shen and Bai Mengyan remained in the living room, and the air seemed to quiet down considerably.

Bai Mengyan secretly glanced at the tightly closed bathroom door, mentally cursing Yang Chaoyue a hundred times for deserting his post and making up lame excuses.

"Um... Brother Shen," Bai Mengyan mustered her courage and broke the silence, "I'm sorry."

Lin Shen was looking at something on his phone when he heard this, so he looked up and asked, "Apologize for what?"

"It's just... in the hallway just now, because of what I did, you and Teacher Tang Yan..." Bai Mengyan lowered her head and said softly.

"Our relationship seems to have gotten even more strained. Have I caused you trouble again? Will it affect your filming later?"

She spoke sincerely, filled with worry and self-blame. Although she disliked Tang Yan, she was even more afraid that she would make things difficult for Lin Shen on set.

Upon hearing this, Lin Shen chuckled lightly: "You're overthinking it."

"My relationship with her won't affect filming. Professional actors will act accordingly. As for my scenes with her..."

Lin Shen paused for a moment before speaking: "In the original work, Aning didn't have that many scenes. The script added some for balance and commercial considerations. There's no need to take her too seriously."

Bai Mengyan felt a little relieved upon hearing this, but then she remembered the idea Yang Chaoyue had been frantically trying to instill in her, and she could almost hear the girl's excited voice again:

"...Once it's just the two of you, go up and pin him against the wall! Look at him with such affection, Brother Shen definitely won't be able to resist, and then you...hehehehe, you'll definitely win him over!"

We must take it...take what?! How am I supposed to take it?!

Bai Mengyan's face started to burn again. She secretly looked up at Lin Shen and found that he was looking at her with his head slightly turned to the side. The lines of his profile were particularly clear and beautiful in the warm light.

Her heart started beating even faster.

Although Chaoyue's idea was bad, he seemed to be right about one thing... If Brother Shen wasn't interested in her, why would he treat her so well?

They specially signed her from a bunch of models to Lucky Film, gave her such a great role as Huo Xiuxiu, and even defended her so much tonight...

The lingering effects of alcohol, mixed with the girl's courage and a strange competitive spirit that she couldn't lose to Tang Yan, began to churn in Bai Mengyan's heart.

Bai Mengyan took a deep breath, as if she had made a great decision, her voice so soft it was almost a mosquito's hum:

"Brother Shen... I... I will make it up to you."

"Hmm?" Lin Shen withdrew his gaze, looking at her with some surprise. "Compensation for what?"

"I...I've just caused you trouble." Bai Mengyan's eyes darted around, avoiding his gaze, her fingers twisting together. "I...I'll make it up to you."

Lin Shen was clearly not expected that she would suddenly say such a thing. He raised his eyebrows slightly, leaned forward slightly, and looked at Bai Mengyan's blushing face.

"Oh? So how do you plan to compensate me?"

"I..." Bai Mengyan was speechless, her brain racing, and her gaze involuntarily began to survey the living room environment.

Where's the wall? Where's the right wall? Chao Yue's "wall slam" requires a wall!

Her adorable, bewildered look as she searched for the wall didn't escape Lin Shen's notice. He watched her with amusement, curious to see what kind of trouble she could possibly cause.

Bai Mengyan couldn't find an ideal location for the crime, so she gritted her teeth and made a snap decision: No wall? Fine, no wall! Chaoyue, I'm trusting you this time, I'm going all in!

She suddenly stood up from the sofa!

The movement was a bit sudden, and the sofa was soft, so she swayed and almost lost her balance, but this also brought her closer to Lin Shen.

Lin Shen looked up slightly at Bai Mengyan, who had suddenly stood in front of him, her eyes flashing but carrying an inexplicable air of impending doom. He was a little confused.

Is this girl still drunk tonight? Why does she look like she's about to bravely face her death?

"Brother Shen," Bai Mengyan's voice trembled, but she tried her best to maintain her composure, "I...I have something I want to say to you."

Lin Shen looked at her, and was about to ask her something when he saw Bai Mengyan like a spring that had finally been filled with energy.

She suddenly reached out and grabbed Lin Shen's shoulders, then, with a reckless force, pressed him down hard!

Lin Shen was completely unprepared for her to make a move. Caught off guard, he was firmly pressed down onto the sofa by her force.

Bai Mengyan, having exerted too much force and with the elasticity of the sofa, lost her balance, cried out in surprise, and fell down as well, landing squarely on top of Lin Shen.

"Well!"

The two bodies pressed tightly together, instantly enveloped in the soft embrace of the sofa.

They were so close they could clearly feel each other's body temperature, their breaths mingling with the faint scent of alcohol, and the atmosphere suddenly became incredibly ambiguous and chaotic.

Lin Shen instinctively reached out and wrapped his arms around the girl's waist and back to prevent her from slipping off.

His mind went blank for a rare moment. Looking at Bai Mengyan, who was so close to him, her eyes wide with nervousness and embarrassment, he blurted out:

"Bai Mengyan! Is this how you compensate me?!"

This was completely different from any scenario he had envisioned!

Bai Mengyan was lying on top of him, a position that made her so embarrassed she felt like she was about to explode, but it was too late to back down now.

The overwhelming determination to win seemed to be a magic spell, and the strange competitive spirit of a fangirl—"I've come this far, how can I back down now?"—completely dominated her.

Bai Mengyan looked into Lin Shen's beautiful eyes. There was no disgust or push-away in them, only a hint of surprise and...waiting?

I can't worry about that anymore!

Bai Mengyan steeled her resolve, closed her eyes, and, relying on instinct and a desperate spirit, lowered her head—

Warm, soft lips landed firmly on Lin Shen's lips without warning.

Time seemed to stand still.

Lin Shen felt a soft touch on his lips, and a faint, sweet aroma of fruit wine wafted towards him.

He froze completely.

Bai Mengyan's mind went completely blank.

I...I forcibly kissed Brother Shen?

I really did it?!