After Filming a WLW Movie With My Straight Girl Crush 25

Chapter 25

Xu Ling suspected that Qin Cong’an was hinting at something.

She had never read The Dark Room, but she knew the general plot. She had read excerpts and summaries in her middle school supplementary reading. It was about a woman who, disgusted with her husband’s mediocrity, falls into a passionate affair with a handsome newcomer in town.

But gradually, she also grew tired of her lover. In the end, she got nothing, or rather, she chose to have nothing.

On the day her husband died, her affair was exposed. She acted very calm at the funeral, and after it was over, she went to another small town alone and lived a reclusive life.

The dark room symbolized the place where she lived thereafter, symbolizing that after experiencing many things, she had locked both her body and her heart in a small, deep, dark room.

So, what stage was Qin Cong’an in now? Was she still in the novelty phase with her lover, or had she already started to grow tired of it?

There was less than a month left until the wrap. Would her novelty fade slowly during the filming process, or would she withdraw swiftly the moment they wrapped?

The more Xu Ling thought about it, the more she felt a sharp pain, as if all her internal organs were being displaced.

She got up and went to the restroom.

Qin Cong’an put down her book and glanced at her. She’s so moved by that stupid novel that she can’t even walk straight. Is it really that serious? Could the novel have a bad ending? That would be great.

After finishing work and returning to the hotel, Xu Ling happened to be in the same elevator as Qin Cong’an.

But Xu Ling got off the elevator with Yi Huai before their floor.

Yi Huai was stunned for a moment. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just wanted to chat with you, Sister.” Xu Ling followed Yi Huai all the way into her room.

After entering the room, Yi Huai took a bottle of water from the mini-fridge for Xu Ling and asked her, “Are you too tired? The recent shoots should have been relatively easy.”

“No.” Xu Ling suppressed her emotions and deliberately put on an exaggerated, gossipy expression, raising her eyebrows. “I just have something I want to ask.”

Yi Huai saw her expression, understood, and smiled. “You heard?”

Hmm? Xu Ling was momentarily confused. Heard what? But she nodded.

“Hah, there really are a lot of them. Can’t be helped. Everyone’s idle anyway.”

The more Xu Ling listened, the more confused she became. Was this related to what she wanted to ask?

Yi Huai sat down and crossed her legs. “Anyway, it’s not busy these few days, so I’ll just tell you. Actually, they probably hit it off on the first night they joined the crew.”

It seemed to be related to what she wanted to ask, but Xu Ling didn’t know who Sister Huai was talking about. She had just wanted an opening to ask her question, but now she was actually a little curious about the two protagonists.

But forget it. Her own business was more important. Xu Ling asked, “So this kind of relationship, does it just end as soon as they leave the set?”

“Generally speaking, of course. They stop contacting each other after the wrap. But after all, Xiao Fang isn’t an actor, and neither of them has a boyfriend or girlfriend, so maybe they’ll get together.”

Xiao Fang? Xu Ling searched her memory. Ah, it should be one of their martial arts instructors, Teacher Fang. So it was him and a certain actress on set.

“So some of them do get together,” Xu Ling said, feigning surprise, but actually wanting to hear some precedents.

“They do.” Yi Huai mentioned that a certain couple had started as an on-set couple and were now a real couple.

Xu Ling hadn’t expected to get a bellyful of gossip.

Yi Huai said, “But this kind of situation is still relatively rare. Usually, they just cut off contact after leaving the set. Everyone knows the deal. No one is serious from the beginning.”

“Oh…” Xu Ling nodded. They know the deal? Indeed, she had been mentally prepared, but she was also greedy. “So after the wrap, they block each other on WeChat too?”

“WeChat? They wouldn’t add each other in the first place. Why would they? There’s no need.”

Xu Ling also thought so. So she really didn’t understand why Qin Cong’an had added her, and with a side account at that.

“Unless they’re extremely compatible in bed and still want to hook up after leaving the set. But hooking up after leaving the set is much riskier. It’s hard to explain if they get photographed, and some are afraid of being discovered by their boyfriends or girlfriends.”

As Yi Huai spoke, she noticed that Xu Ling’s initial gossipy excitement had completely vanished. She had sunk into some kind of mood, as if she were talking about her own situation.

Yi Huai narrowed her eyes. “Xu Ling.”

“Hmm?” Xu Ling looked at Sister Huai with wide eyes.

“I didn’t even notice you had something going on with someone. You’ve hidden it well,” Yi Huai praised first, although it didn’t sound like a compliment. “But looking at you now, you’re not thinking of getting serious, are you?”

“Huh? What?”

“Don’t play dumb with me.” Yi Huai had seen it all, managed all kinds of artists. “I’ll say it again. I don’t care who you’re with or what you’re doing, but you have to hide it well.”

“No, there’s no one. I was just curious, just asking.” Xu Ling stood up. “I’ve asked enough. I’m going up now.”

Yi Huai didn’t stop her but continued to look at her with a probing gaze.

Xu Ling felt like a hole was about to be stared into the back of her head. That gaze was too oppressive. She felt like she was about to be seen through by Sister Huai.

Xu Ling went upstairs and obediently returned to her own room. She didn’t even dare to go find Qin Cong’an, afraid that Yi Huai’s eyes had followed her up.

Xu Ling lay on her own bed and opened The Dark Room. A long novel of over 700,000 words, and the beginning introduced several names with more than ten characters… She had no doubt she would fall asleep after one page.

She just wanted to understand if the female protagonist was as she remembered.

So, as a newcomer with one foot in the film industry, Xu Ling guiltily clicked on a video titled [A 10-Minute Summary of The Dark Room, a 10,000-Word Analysis, Full of Details].

She watched it carefully. Mmm, the female protagonist did indeed have an affair, and with more than one lover.

Xu Ling opened Qin Cong’an’s WeChat and looked at their few chat records. Most of them were from her, asking if she was in her room.

Xu Ling then opened Qin Cong’an’s Weibo. She didn’t post much, only some promotional content during publicity periods, but it was obvious that it was all arranged by her studio. There were no shares of her own life.

Then she opened Qin Cong’an’s following list. Most of them were artists she had worked with before. No Xie Jing.

Xu Ling didn’t know what she was looking for, but she just habitually clicked in to take a look, to refresh.

Finally, she clicked on the Super Topic of their CP fans, [Quietly Doing Big Things], to see if there was any new “candy.”

[Brother Jing arrived in Mist City today! As we all know, your An is filming in Mist City right now. Will the little couple meet? /excited]

Terrible news! Absolutely terrible news!

Xie Jing was actually in Mist City. Xu Ling immediately switched out and searched. It turned out it was for the promotion of his new drama. He was on a national promotional tour, and tomorrow was the Mist City stop.

Just based on this, one could only say that the CP fans had a strong stomach. It was just a work schedule. But for someone who knew the truth, it was a whole different story.

When Xie Jing came to Mist City, would he be staying at their hotel?

Xu Ling really wanted to know if Qin Cong’an was in her room right now. She jumped out of bed and left the room.

Just as she opened the door and stepped out, she saw Yi Huai leaning against the doorway.

In that instant, Xu Ling was so scared her soul almost flew out of her body. She couldn’t even scream; it was stuck in her throat. She looked at Sister Huai, her heart pounding. “W-what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just passing by,” Yi Huai said with a smile. “It’s quite late. Aren’t you going to sleep?”

“I am, I am.” Xu Ling agreed, shrinking back into her room. “Sister Huai should go to bed soon too. Good night.”

“An An～”

Yi Huai’s smile was chilling. The single word “An An” made Xu Ling want to explode. Did she know? No, no, no, this An An must not be that An An. It couldn’t be.

Xu Ling hid under the covers as if she had seen a ghost. But Sister Huai had been lenient. She hadn’t waited until she had entered Qin Cong’an’s room to appear.

Xu Ling sent a message to Qin Cong’an’s side account: [Are you in your room?]

The orange emoji replied almost instantly: [Are you coming over?]

Xu Ling: [Can I? Is there someone in your room?]

This time, Xu Ling waited for a long time, until her heart grew cold. It seemed there really was someone in her room.

After a long while, a photo came through. The photo showed half of her chin, and below that, her beautiful neck, collarbones, and then it was blocked by a book. The book, with its dust jacket removed, revealed a hardcover with a beautiful handwritten title: The Dark Room.

Orange emoji: [Reading alone. You can come over.]

Xu Ling didn’t dare to go. Just confirming was enough.

Xu Ling: [Never mind, I’m a little sleepy. You can continue reading. I’m going to bed, An An.]

No reply. Xu Ling burrowed into the covers, secretly admiring the photo Qin Cong’an had sent, as if doing something bad.

No, if she wanted to send a photo of herself reading, couldn’t she just hold it in her hand and take a picture? Why did she have to place it on her body to take the picture? Was she trying to seduce her? Xu Ling zoomed in on the photo, looking at the deep hollow, as if it were tempting people to fall into an abyss.

What was this if not seduction? Wasn’t this just waiting for her to lick it?

Xu Ling tossed her phone aside. She was really being driven to become a pervert.

Just as she tossed her phone, she heard the familiar knock. Xu Ling went to open the door. It was her, and Yi Huai. Sister Huai hadn’t left!

This time, Xu Ling controlled her expression, or so she thought.

“Don’t stay up too late,” Yi Huai said, looking at the two of them, then turned and walked away.

Xu Ling was dumbfounded. Don’t what up too late??

Qin Cong’an walked in, holding the thick book in one hand and closing the door with the other. “I said I came to find you to discuss the plot of the book. There are two people in it who are very similar to Wen Xi and Jian Yu. It can help us understand the characters.”

Her tone was calm, her voice steady, but Xu Ling felt as if she were being bewitched.

Xu Ling followed her like a shadow. “Are there really?”

“In a classic of this level, you can always find two people who correspond. It’s not wrong,” Qin Cong’an said, walking all the way into the bedroom. She climbed onto the bed with the book, opened it to the bookmarked page, and started reading.

Xu Ling also got on the bed, took her book to toss it aside, glanced at her expression, and then obediently put the bookmark back in, carefully placing it on her own nightstand where she couldn’t reach it. Then she turned her head and asked, “You came to my room to read?”

“Mhm, aren’t you sleepy and want to go to bed?”

“Not that sleepy.” Xu Ling leaned her face closer, her breath fanning into the hollow of her collarbone. She stuck out her tongue, her heart leaping with joy. She actually got to lick it. What had she put on her body? It was so hot.

Qin Cong’an held her head, stroking it like a passionate little puppy. She asked, “What did you go to talk to Sister Huai about?”

“Mmm…” Xu Ling’s brain was working frantically. “Some follow-up work.”

“Oh.” Qin Cong’an’s hand applied a little pressure. “Don’t lick there. It’s visible.”

Xu Ling looked up. “What about that photo?”

“What?”

Xu Ling ran a finger over her collarbone. “I mean, why did you take the photo like that?”

“I can take a photo however I want. Is there a problem?” A slight smile played on Qin Cong’an’s face. “Do you think there’s a special reason?”

Xu Ling pouted.

“But looking at you like this, I know you like it a lot.” Qin Cong’an held her face, her thumb caressing her lips. When her lips parted slightly, she stuck it in. It was unclear whether she was playing with her tongue or she was playing with her finger.

Xu Ling’s voice was a little muffled. “Mhm, I like it.”

“Like what?”

“Here, the place you won’t let me kiss, and here…” Xu Ling’s eyes looked up at her, an innocent expression on her face, as if asking her, is this okay?

Qin Cong’an responded with a slightly cold “mhm.”

So she really just likes my body.

“Don’t stay up too late.”