The others also chimed in intermittently with murmurs of agreement.
"Yeah, it's too much for a newcomer to play the female lead."
"With the tight schedule, I doubt we'll finish in time..."
"We need to recast..."
Fei Zhao was furious! He stood up, wanting to head to the stage, but saw Lu Yanming raise his hand slightly, signaling him to sit down.
"Yes, young master." Fei Zhao glared at the people on stage, gritting his teeth as he sat back down.
Lu Yanming didn't look at the situation on stage, continuing to look at the page on his laptop.
Li Zhen stood steadily on stage. It wasn't appropriate for her to speak now. If Director Meng told her to leave, she would simply go.
She herself also felt like she couldn't do it.
Meng Changsheng smiled and didn't get angry. He beckoned to the male lead Shi Tianya and female lead two Zhu Yuting, "You two, come over."
Shi Tianya and Zhu Yuting went over in confusion.
Meng Changsheng brought them to the edge of the stage and said something to them in a low voice.
The others couldn't hear clearly.
Suddenly, Shi Tianya and Zhu Yuting cried out in unison in surprise, "What!"
The others looked at each other.
What did he say?!
After the three finished their whispered conversation, Zhu Yuting was the first to hurry over to Li Zhen, blazing urgently.
Li Zhen reflexively took two steps back.
Zhu Yuting caught up to her and grabbed Li Zhen's hand. Under the surprised gazes of everyone present, she enthusiastically and sincerely praised, "Good sister! From now on you are my sister from another mother! Don't worry about acting, ask your big sister if you don't understand anything!"
Everyone: ...
Assistant Director You: ...
Just a minute ago she was calling her a newcomer, and now she's her sister from another mother?
Shi Tianya also grasped Li Zhen's other hand, earnest and sincere, "Sister Li Zhen, from now on we are family! Brother was impatient earlier, don't take offense!"
Everyone: ...
Assistant Director You: ...
Assistant Director You was completely confused. "Tianya, didn't you just say how disgusting it was..."
And now they were family?
Shi Tianya glared at Assistant Director You. "Director You, what are you talking about! Watch what you say in front of my sister Li Zhen!"
What disgusting.
Flattering for money is disgusting!
But if you get paid a billion, get paid to support their national tour, can that be called getting paid? That's a life-saving favor!
After Shi Tianya finished, he quickly glanced down below. "Brothers, can you see clearly down there? Should I get seats for you up here?"
Fei Zhao wanted to curse back, but heard Lu Yanming say lightly to the stage: "No need to trouble you."
"Sounds good, brother!" Shi Tianya laughed and nodded.
Li Zhen was stunned by Shi Tianya and Zhu Yuting's top-notch Sichuan opera face-changing.
Before she could react, Zhu Yuting was already picking up the prop hat she had thrown on the ground earlier, radiant and eager. "Everyone come, let's go through it again. My sister Li Zhen isn't familiar yet, so let's partner with her."
Originally Meng Changsheng had arranged for Li Zhen to rehearse more at the theater to get familiar.
But now Zhu Yuting says "My sister is a natural talent, no need to rush, go slowly, don't stay up late and hurt my sister's health."
And Shi Tianya says "Sister Li Zhen's performance is shockingly good, she can't rehearse all night with us rough folks."
So Li Zhen was confused as the two escorted her out of the theater at 11pm, while everyone else kept rehearsing.
After showering, she lay sideways on the sofa, looking at the gurgling Jinjiang River through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Suddenly, her view was blocked.
The gurgling water transformed into a pair of bright eyes, looking at her calmly.
The corners of Lu Yanming's eyes creased with laughter. His voice was very soft in the night. "Why have you been showering downstairs these past few days and gotten used to sleeping on the sofa?"
Lu Yanming's voice was gentle and soothing, making Li Zhen's ears tingle.
"This sofa you bought is expensive, it's comfortable to sleep on, so I wanted to sleep here."
It was hard to find an excuse to sleep separately.
It was much more fitting to say she liked the sofa since Lu Yanming had said he changed it because he liked the new sofa.
Lu Yanming nodded thoughtfully. "I see."
Li Zhen breathed a sigh of relief.
The next second, Lu Yanming got on the sofa and slid to the inside. He hugged her from behind, "Then I'll keep you company on the sofa."
"But isn't it too cramped, Mr. Lu..." Li Zhen was enveloped by his faint woodsy scent, and the man's body heat swiftly surrounded her.
Although this sofa was larger than normal, it was still very cramped for two people.
The two of them were pressed tightly against each other.
Li Zhen's body temperature rose swiftly, though she didn't know if it was because Lu Yanming's warmth was contagious.
Lu Yanming: "It is a bit cramped. Why don't you sleep on the floor, Zhen Zhen?"
Li Zhen: ...How typical of Lu Yanming.
Li Zhen murmured softly, "If you want to sleep on the floor, you do it. I decided to sleep on the sofa first."
"I won't sleep on the floor. What if I catch a cold? Then I won't be able to watch your performance next week, that would be such a loss." Lu Yanming chuckled lightly.
He put his arm around Li Zhen's waist, afraid she might fall off, and pulled her closer into his embrace.
"Mr. Lu..." Li Zhen turned her head back to look at the man behind her in the darkness. Her tone was suddenly serious. "Thank you."
Zhu Yuting and Shi Tianya's change in attitude today must be because Lu Yanming gave them some benefit, though she didn't know what. But Li Zhen knew that this time, she owed Lu Yanming a huge favor.
If it wasn't for Lu Yanming's push, she might never have taken this step.
In the moonlight, the planes of Li Zhen's face alternated between light and shadow.
They were so close their noses could touch. Lu Yanming could even see the fine fluff on her face clearly.
Lu Yanming couldn't stand her looking at him so attentively like this.
"Two words of thanks is too lightweight..." Lu Yanming kissed Li Zhen's lips, gently grinding over every inch of them. It was a long time before he let go. "A kiss is just right."
Li Zhen was kissed until she was too ashamed to look at him. She glared at him, then turned her head away and didn't look at him again. "Mr. Lu, if you want a reward, can you discuss it with me next time?"
"So stingy, not even a kiss?" Lu Yanming frowned, teasing her.
"Just a kiss? Then take your hand off my chest." Li Zhen said angrily.
She knew he had no good intentions getting on the sofa.
Previously when she wanted it, Lu Yanming said she was aiming too high.
But now that she didn't want it, he was raring to go.
"Just a little longer." Lu Yanming's hand didn't stop, but grew bolder instead, nuzzling her neck. "You asked me at noon what I was looking at on my phone. Want to know now?"
From her experience dealing with Lu Yanming, it was best not to know right now.
But Lu Yanming had already started speaking on his own. "It was fanfiction about the two of us."
Li Zhen's heart skipped a beat.
"Let me read some to you..." Lu Yanming's voice had a gritty texture that sounded even more refined and elegant in the night. "The big boss, Mr. Lu, makes the little employee Li Zhen get in his car in front of everyone. He locks the car windows..."
"Mr. Lu takes off his belt, ties up her hands, and stuffs his ... in her mouth..."
"Mr. Lu! Don't say anymore." Li Zhen's scalp prickled, and heat of embarrassment flushed her face in waves.
"Alright, I won't say anymore. Our Zhen Zhen has thin skin, she can't take it."
The man's voice was right by her ear. "Why don't we try it out, Zhen Zhen."
The intimate way he said "Zhen Zhen" made it sound like they had a deep relationship.
Li Zhen's breathing grew uneven, her voice trembling. "Mr. Lu..."
She didn't get to finish, because she was forcefully twisted around into a overpowering kiss that consumed her.
Once they got started, things on the sofa became disorderly again.
When Li Zhen's consciousness floated highest, she heard Lu Yanming let out a muffled groan, murmuring deeply: "That fanfiction was nothing special either. She couldn't even capture a ten thousandth of my Zhen Zhen's beauty right now."