CH 51

Wen Li's mind went blank.

She subconsciously shook her head, "No, that's not possible..."

Song Yan looked at her with a look of regret, but there was a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

Wen Li didn't stay in that state for long. She suddenly realized that her excuse was too weak and that he might have seen through it.

She glanced at him. Although she felt uneasy inside, she pretended to be righteous and said, "What do you mean by making such a joke? Are you suspecting that I'm trying to trick you?"

Song Yan explained, "No, Teacher Wen, you've always been someone who never lies in my heart. Why would I think that about you?"

"En, that's right." Wen Li rolled her eyes, coughed, and tightened her grip on his hand, "Hold it properly, or else the task won't be completed, and it'll be all your fault."

"Okay."

Every time Song Yan said "okay", Wen Li had a bad premonition.

Sure enough, the next moment, Song Yan smiled and suggested, "But the cameraman isn't here, even if we complete the task, he won't be able to capture it. Should we ask him to upgrade to our cabin?"

Wow, he saw through it early on and was just playing with her.

Wen Li gritted her teeth, cursing him for being cunning while also berating herself for being foolish. Her lies were full of loopholes, now her reputation was ruined by such a simple facade.

She wouldn't argue over trifles, but Wen Li stubbornly said, "No need to call the cameraman over. I'm just practicing holding hands with you in advance so that when we're in front of the camera, it won't look too unnatural. It's called being prepared in advance. You understand, right?"

"I see," Song Yan nodded, verbally agreeing with her explanation, but he couldn't hide the smile in his eyes.

Wen Li knew he didn't believe her, and she was dissatisfied. She glanced at the resting passengers around them and then boldly leaned in closer to him, her voice soft, "Hey, I said the task is holding hands, yet you keep asking if it's lips against lips. Do you want to take advantage of me?"

Every time she acted out of character, speaking without being stubborn or uncomfortable, Song Yan would be stunned.

He stared at her without speaking, but the involuntary movement of his Adam's apple revealed everything.

Having gained the upper hand, Wen Li was in a good mood and looked smug, "Well, it's understandable. Who can resist my charm? You want to take advantage of me, I can understand that."

Then she gave him a look that said, "I forgive you," intending to brush off what happened with a beautiful counterattack.

Song Yan wanted to say something, but she didn't give him a chance. She simply put on the eye mask.

"I'm tired, I'm going to sleep."

She indeed fell asleep, but her hands, tightly clasped with his, showed no intention of letting go. She had an air of "remaining proud until the end", refusing to admit defeat. What could he do to her?

Song Yan remembered the personality and behavioral analysis he had searched for about Wen Li on the internet.

People who didn't buy her act would think that she was not straightforward at all, with her twisted intentions and all.

But for those who did fall for it, it felt like being masochistic, being eaten up by her, stubbornly holding on to her pride and arrogance. In reality, her dismissive tone and haughty attitude were all a cover-up for some little thoughts inside her. Understanding this, Song Yan wasn't angry at all. To put it cutely, not only was Wen Li cute, but even a strand of her hair would roll around on Song Yan's cute points.

——

The plane safely landed. Being a first-tier city, it was no stranger to welcoming celebrities on a daily basis. In the airport, anyone dressed fashionably could potentially be an internet celebrity with millions of followers. Most people were already used to it.

Wen Li and Song Yan's itinerary was public this time, so there were many people waiting to receive them. There were fans as well as passersby. To avoid causing a crowd, the two of them had to separate and walk separately. Wen Li walked with her head lowered, wearing sunglasses, while her bodyguards blocked anyone trying to approach her. However, her mind was constantly thinking about Song Yan.

She had taken a nap on the plane, and upon waking up, she hadn't forgotten that Song Yan had seen through her trick.

But she quickly figured it out.

So what if he saw through it? If he didn't expose her, she would continue to play dumb and see who could endure it better.

Even if she blushed and her heart raced because of his trickery, she was a woman and had the right to feel shy. It was different for Song Yan, a tall adult man. Being toyed with by her to the point of speechlessness was simply embarrassing, to the extent that she could tease him about it later.

She started to imagine the scene after they fell in love, and Wen Li patted her face, marveling at how her thick skin was growing day by day.

Fans watched as she suddenly slapped herself a few times, thinking that she lacked confidence in the upcoming variety show, and tried to console her.

"Sanli, don't put too much pressure on yourself. It's okay if you don't perform well. We'll help control the comments online."

"With our brother-in-law here, you'll definitely do well."

"If he doesn't help you, we'll confront his fans for you."

Since the incident with the watch, the "Litchi" fans seemed to have slightly improved their perception of Song Yan. They no longer chanted slogans like "Sister Li is the most beautiful". Some dedicated fans had even started calling Song Yan "brother-in-law".

Wen Li finally lifted her head, feeling both amused and exasperated, "Stop thinking about confronting people online. Have a little faith in me, okay? I won't let you down."

The fans obediently nodded, "Sanli, fight on! It's hot recently, remember to protect yourself from the sun and be careful of heatstroke."

"Brother-in-law, fight on too!"

Wen Li bit her lip and smiled. She had been married to Song Yan for over two years, but she had never visited his family in Aocheng. Song Yan had met her family, but her uncle had never referred to Song Yan as his nephew-in-law, and her younger brother had never called him brother-in-law. So, the marriage felt more like a piece of paper agreement.

She didn't expect to hear this family-specific term of address from the fans.

It made her feel a little embarrassed.

In the crowd surrounding Song Yan, a bold young girl squeezed her way into a group of Song Yan's fans. Amidst the cries of "Beauty, take care of yourself in the heat" and "Brother, post more selfies on Weibo," she shouted, "Song Yan, take good care of your wife!"

Song Yan was taken aback but smiled, "I will."

The young girl didn't expect to receive a response and stood there dumbfounded for a while, her eyes wide open.

The crowd had already moved forward with Song Yan for more than ten meters when she finally snapped back to reality. She quickly took out her phone and sent dozens of WeChat messages to her girlfriends to express her excitement.

「Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!」

「I came to receive Sanli today. I asked the group admins to help me get an autograph and then I came over to Song Yan's side!!!」

「And Song Yan actually talked to me!!!」

「He's so charming when he speaks and smiles!! He's so charming it's explosive!!」

「Sob sob sob, I suddenly feel so sorry for my wife, Sanli. I actually fell for my wife's husband. I'm so terrible.」

Her girlfriends:「? Another crazy fan.」

Wen Li had no idea that her "husband fans" had easily been won over by Song Yan. She was still secretly delighted that the fans called Song Yan brother-in-law, feeling that she, Song Yan, and the fans were a happy trinity.

——

The variety show [The S-level Acting Awards] was broadcasted by the Shanghai TV station but was recorded in Yucheng. Wen Li and Song Yan first went to the station to greet a few leaders, then they headed towards Yucheng. Fortunately, the two cities were close to each other, and they arrived after a train ride.

They didn't have a moment to spare or a chance to chat throughout the day, as they were constantly surrounded by various staff members.

Once they reached the recording site, inside the high-ceilinged theater studio, a group of young actors were rehearsing.

Wen Li was thinking about the upcoming draw for the live performance. Besides the script she was assisting with, she wondered which of the remaining seven scripts she would draw. She prayed that she wouldn't get something too difficult to handle and preferably something in the realm of emotional acting, where she excelled.

"Classmates," the assistant director clapped his hands to get the attention of the actors who were rehearsing, "We have two more teachers here. Come and greet them."

Among the young actors, there were both males and females, most of whom were graduates or current students of the top film and television academies in the country. Some of the top performers had even played supporting roles in popular dramas.

Wen Li didn't graduate from a formal acting program; she studied dance. Initially, she had planned to debut as an idol but ended up switching careers to become an actress. She didn't dare claim that her acting skills were definitely superior to the other formally trained actors present, but in terms of experience and fame, she was definitely worthy of being called "Teacher" by this group of actors.

"Hello, Teacher Song. Hello, Teacher Wen!"

Wen Li suddenly felt a sense of superiority, as if she were already a "senior" in the industry.

Song Yan, on the other hand, had no such convoluted thoughts. He was a serious graduate of a formal acting program and occupied the highest level of the industry's hierarchy. As soon as he entered the studio, he was surrounded by a group of young actors seeking advice.

He hadn't found an opportunity to talk to Wen Li on the way here, now it seemed even less likely.

As a guest actor, it was her role to use her acting experience and understanding of the character to help the actors better integrate into their roles.

This particular drama was one of her works from a year ago, a period fantasy piece. Both the actors playing the male and female leads were eagerly looking at her.

She wasn't very familiar with Wang Miao, who played the female lead, but she remembered Ning Junxuan, who played the male lead. He was the heartthrob of the previous year's batch in the Film and Television Performance major at the Drama Academy. His military training photo from when he entered the university as a freshman had even gone viral.

He was very handsome, with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes, much like Song Yan. He had a very Oriental and elegant appearance. Song Yan, being several batches senior to Ning Junxuan, had also been a campus heartthrob at that time, and there had been discussions on social media comparing the two heartthrobs to determine who was more handsome.

Song Yan's features were more delicate and refined, he also had already gained fame even before he was admitted to the Drama Academy. The answer from the online voting was self-evident.

Fortunately, Ning Junxuan didn't have many fans at that time, or else such a topic of comparison would have surely ignited a fan war.

Wen Li carefully observed Ning Junxuan, then glanced at Song Yan, who was busy directing other actors on the side. She thought to herself: Indeed, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Even she felt that Ning Junxuan and Song Yan were not comparable at all.

"The production team has chosen the scene of the confession at Yaochi," she focused on the script and looked at the lead actors, "Have you rehearsed the scene?"

Wang Miao nodded, "Yes, we have rehearsed it, but the director said that my emotions haven't been established. When I look into the eyes of the male lead, I lack the shyness and confusion that a young girl should have. It's either like I'm not being confessed to or simply listening to someone reciting lines."

They just couldn't get into the scene.

This wasn't a proper filming location, the surroundings were noisy. Experienced actors wouldn't easily be affected by external disturbances. However, it was a challenge for new actors.

"It's alright, let me show you a segment. Pay attention to my eyes."

"Okay, thank you, Teacher Wen Li."

Wen Li waved at Ning Junxuan and said, "Come on, let's rehearse a scene."

Ning Junxuan acknowledged and walked to the side with Wen Li. According to the script, he embraced her.

Being held by a young fresh meat felt really good.

Wen Li felt like she hit the jackpot.

Ning Junxuan leaned close to her ear and, after composing himself, began delivering his confession lines.

Wen Li, having been in the industry for a long time, had heard these lines too many times. Internally, she felt no ripples, but she gave herself a mental suggestion to temporarily get into character.

She pushed Ning Junxuan away, turned her head, took a few steps, and covered her ears, pretending to be coquettish and pouting, "I don't want to hear these disgusting words, they're so cheesy!"

"Look, Wen Li is teaching Ning Junxuan and the others how to act."

Several other actors in the vicinity immediately turned their gazes in that direction. Some who wanted to watch hurriedly ran over.

The actors on Song Yan's side also wanted to see. After exchanging meaningful glances, they began urging Song Yan, "Teacher Song, don't you want to see your wife act with someone else?"

Song Yan replied calmly, "No."

"Why? Are you jealous?"

Song Yan frowned.

"Then, how much jealousy should you have, given that Wen Li has acted in so many idol dramas? How many times have you been jealous, Teacher Song?"

Song Yan sighed, "Alright, I'll go watch."

The group of people gathered around, and after a brief interruption, Wen Li relied on her strong professional skills to suppress her sense of embarrassment and continued the scene with the other actors.

She looked up at Ning Junxuan, her eyes showing the director's evaluation that Wang Miao mentioned, the kind of emotion she lacked. Now she wanted to demonstrate it to Wang Miao.

To give a good demonstration to Wang Miao, her eyes were filled with deep admiration.

If an actor has beautiful and expressive eyes, their performance on the screen is already halfway successful. Emotional scenes were Wen Li's specialty, and in her affectionate eyes, it didn't seem like it was the first time she had met Ning Junxuan. It felt like she had liked this boy for a long time, and now they were finally sharing their hearts, mutually in love.

Ning Junxuan had too little experience and couldn't keep up with the scene. He froze, opened his mouth, and then quickly averted his gaze.

Embarrassed, he said, "Being watched by Teacher Wen Li was a bit overwhelming. My heart was pounding, sorry, sorry."

He spoke honestly. After actors get into character, it's normal for their genuine emotions to be influenced. Once they snap out of it, everything will be fine.

The group of actors watching immediately burst into laughter.

"Junxuan, you can't handle it. Teacher Wen Li overwhelmed you."

Ning Junxuan nodded in agreement and, as he responded to the teasing of the others, he inadvertently glanced at Song Yan, who had also been standing on this side, watching him and Wen Li rehearse.

Song Yan's gaze was gentle as he smiled at him.

Ning Junxuan inexplicably shivered.

Wen Li regained her composure and didn't notice Song Yan at all. She generously comforted Ning Junxuan, "It's okay, want to try it again?"

Ning Junxuan looked at her admiringly, "Teacher Wen Li, you're amazing. Even when your husband is standing by, you can act so realistically."

Only then did Wen Li glance to the side.

"You acted really well," Song Yan said with a smile, "Emotional scenes are also my weak point. How about giving me some on-site guidance, Teacher Wen Li?"

Wen Li: "..."

Why does she feel guilty?

It's just acting, not cheating!

The other actors who were enjoying the show, without considering the consequences, immediately started cheering, "Oh yeah! Guidance! Guidance! Guidance!"