YTSB - 2

Caught red-handed in a compromising situation, Yan Man showed no trace of panic.

Instead, she lifted her head gracefully and flashed him a bright smile.

“Hi, Teacher Ye. Have you eaten yet?”

Ye Lin: “...”

She wasn’t the type to act coy or shy, and her honesty was second nature. She walked over to him without hesitation.

After taking a couple of steps, she turned back to Zhou Xuan and reminded her, “Anyway, just improvise when the time comes. The camera will arrive tomorrow—don’t forget!”

“...”

Yan Man: “What kind of wind is blowing today? Teacher Ye has never approached me before. If I’m not mistaken, this is probably the first time.”

In a good mood, she tilted her head and asked, “What’s up?”

Ye Lin didn’t respond but raised his eyelids slightly, gesturing for her to look to the right.

On the right, the director was holding a pager.

Zhang Jun: “I’ve been calling you for ages, but you didn’t move. I figured only Teacher Ye could get your attention. Looks like I was right.”

So it was the director who had called her over.

“No,” she smiled, “I was just talking about something. Maybe I was too absorbed to hear you. I see the set isn’t ready yet—are we filming now?”

“Not yet. Tomorrow morning’s scene is important. While you have some free time, go over it together so I can check the effect and make adjustments for tomorrow.”

“Sure.”

She had already memorized her lines beforehand, so after glancing through them twice, she quickly got into character.

The emotional line between the male and female leads was complex, yet simple.

At first glance on the stage, their souls were stirred, and they fell in love, becoming lovers. However, the heroine’s grandfather was the murderer of the hero’s father, creating a rift between them. Believing she could help him overcome his past hatred, their marriage shifted from voluntary to forced.

She pressured him into marrying her, and though he clearly loved her, he couldn’t—or wouldn’t—say it, continually pushing her away.

But the heroine was proud and beautiful, a high-society lady unaccustomed to her husband’s growing indifference. She poured her love into actively pursuing him, warming him, melting him, and proving that he loved her.

Struggling, hesitating, loving and hating each other, all while balancing marriage and romance, created the tension that was the highlight of their emotional storyline.

The scene Yan Man was rehearsing was from the early days of their marriage.

In this scene, the heroine, drunk, revealed a rare side of herself—childish yet haughty.

Yan Man began to slip into character.

She took two steps forward, closing the distance between them, and delivered her lines.

“Why do you keep ignoring me?”

Ye Lin also entered the scene quickly, furrowing his brows and speaking in a low voice: “You’re drunk.”

As soon as he finished, he made a motion to push her away, but the director interrupted.

Director: “Why are you two so far apart? It looks like you’re visiting someone in prison with an iron cage between you.”

Yan Man: “...”

During rehearsals, actors usually went through the motions and ran through their lines, but no one expected the director to be so demanding today, insisting on full emotional investment.

So she moved closer to Ye Lin.

Director: “Perfect! Now you don’t look like newlyweds at all—you look like two revolutionary martyrs.”

“...”

Zhang Jun: “Huai Wen, you’re drunk right now. You’re dreaming about when you two first met. You should be completely dependent on your husband—you trust him.”

“Find a boneless state, lean on him, imagine you have no strength and need him to support you.”

“Of course,” he continued, “you should also exude an unintentionally seductive charm.”

When discussing scenes, the crew usually referred to characters by their names.

This scene required multiple emotional states, making it quite difficult to perform. Zhang Jun even considered demonstrating it himself.

Unexpectedly, Yan Man grasped the concept quickly. A few seconds later, she leaned against Ye Lin’s shoulder.

Zhang Jun: “Great! Yes! That’s it! Perfect, hold it, say your lines!”

Yan Man raised her head, half-closing her eyes with a smile on her lips.

“I’m not drunk.” She clung to his shoulder and tiptoed slightly. “Don’t believe me? Smell for yourself.”

The evening light filtered through the paper window.

She tilted her head, trying to bring her lips close to his nose. Her exposed neck was delicate and beautiful, almost translucent, with faint blue veins visible beneath the skin.

Her eyes closed with the light, and her lashes trembled continuously, like butterflies fluttering their wings, ready to take flight.

He looked down at her, silent.

Seeing him unmoving, she seemed hurt and rubbed against him like a pleading kitten.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” She gripped his collar. “You look best when you’re proactive.”

Finally opening her eyes, she gazed at him innocently.

He seemed to sneer: “Proactive? How do you want me to be proactive?”

...

A moment passed, and she suddenly remembered—they weren’t the same people they once were.

Unable to hold back, she let out a hint of sadness. When she spoke, her voice carried a childlike plea, elongating the tone with a slight nasal quality.

“But Shen Zhi... Do you really not love me anymore?”

“I don’t.” He said.

Director: “Get closer.”

So Yan Man leaned forward slightly, losing her balance. She adjusted her footing, and Ye Lin, misjudging her movement, was pulled down with her—

They both crashed onto the bed behind them.

Feeling the softness of the mattress beneath her chest, she was about to get up when she heard the director exclaim in approval: “Great improvisation! Write this into the script!”

Yan Man: “...”

Since the director gave the order, she continued acting.

She propped herself up halfway, as if she had struggled to accept reality for a long time, then slowly smiled at him.

“It’s okay. There’s still time. I’ll wait until the day you love me.”

From below, he watched her. A strand of hair fell from behind her ear, brushing against his face, tickling him.

The man’s voice remained calm.

“What if you wait forever?”

She lay half on his chest, resting her chin on her hands.

“I won’t wait forever.”

...

“Good! OK!” The director called cut. “That was perfect! Perform exactly like this tomorrow!”

The set buzzed with noise, the clamor sometimes near, sometimes distant.

Yan Man felt a bit dazed until she heard a voice from beneath her.

Ye Lin: “Are you getting up or not?”

She snapped back to reality, realizing she was still lying on top of him.

Yan Man blinked, teasing him intentionally: “The director said I have no bones now.”

“...”

Once she got off him, she sat on the edge of the bed, absentmindedly pulling the blanket over her. She felt strangely like she was in an afterglow.

The director came over, interrupting her thoughts.

“Xiao Man, can you drink alcohol?”

She said, “I can handle a little.”

“Then I’ll get you some drinks before we start shooting tomorrow. It’ll help you get into character more easily.”

True to his word, the next day when Yan Man arrived at the set, the alcohol was already prepared.

They smoothly filmed the scene they had rehearsed the previous day, and the director praised her performance endlessly. Yan Man sat aside, waiting for the next setup.

Zhou Xuan, holding the camera, reminded her again to capture their interactions.

“Are you sure about this? That long kissing scene—and there are many more to come. Don’t you regret it?”

“What’s there to regret? It’s not like I’m doing it with someone else.”

Yan Man looked ahead optimistically: “Anyway, sooner or later, Ye Lin and I will end up together. Consider this practice.”

If it were anyone else, she wouldn’t have agreed to the script changes back then.

For someone she liked, she was thoroughly enjoying herself. Life was unpredictable—why not seize the moment?

Zhou Xuan: “But this is your first kiss.”

“It’s Ye Lin’s too. Do you know how many people envy me?” She winked. “It’s worth it if I enjoy it.”

Zhou Xuan: “...”

Such reasonable logic.

The atmosphere quieted for a moment. Zhou Xuan turned her head to see what Yan Man was doing.

Yan Man was feeling a bit sleepy, leaning lazily on the sofa with a languid air. Her legs were slightly spread, and even her crimson cheongsam couldn’t conceal her graceful curves—she was exquisite and alluring.

No matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t understand why Ye Lin remained unaffected by a beauty with top-tier looks and figure. Was he extremely nearsighted and forgot to wear contact lenses?

While Zhou Xuan pondered this, Yan Man had already dozed off and leaned toward Ye Lin’s direction.

She poured herself half a glass of red wine, sipped a little, and then took out another glass.

“We’ll be filming soon. Teacher Ye, do you want some?”

The man kept his head down, reading the script: “No.”

“You don’t warm up before a kissing scene?” She sounded surprised but quickly pulled out something from her bag. “Then have a breath mint to sober me up.”

He finally raised his head, frowning slightly: “Why would I eat it?”

Her gaze was straightforward, confident: “To sober me up.”

“...”

The mint dissolved in his mouth, but its purpose was to sober her up—an implication that couldn’t be clearer.

The man’s aura cooled slightly.

Beside them, Bi Tan, Ye Lin’s agent, couldn’t help but reflect: “She’s absolutely right.”

He added with admiration: “The essence of a kissing scene—she’s nailed it.”

The next second, the director announced the start of filming, and a stack of Ye Lin’s scripts came flying down, slapping Bi Tan in the face.

Bi Tan: “...”

It wasn’t my words, why are you taking it out on me!

With filming imminent, Yan Man tipped her head back and drained the glass of red wine in one gulp.

Ye Lin’s footsteps were quick, and she followed him into the scene a few seconds later.

The director briefly explained: “Alright, this scene continues from the drunken episode.”

“The heroine is dissatisfied with his coldness and wants to create some stirring moments. She also wants to test whether the hero loves her using instinctive reactions.”

“At first, she forcefully kisses him, and he remains unmoved. Later, he can’t help but explode, so don’t respond at the beginning.”

“For the heroine, focus on the teasing—instinct mixed with intention, along with subtle movements. Remember, they’re a married couple. The kissing scene must be bold, and the tension needs to come through.”

Yan Man glanced at Ye Lin.

The man was lowering his head to adjust his cufflinks, his profile sharp and handsome, his lips perfectly shaped—surely they’d feel good to kiss.

“One take for the kissing scene—Action!”

…

Following her marks, Yan Man positioned herself at the edge of the desk, slipping into character.

She had just woken from a nap, and two buttons of her cheongsam were undone, left unfastened.

However, the male lead remained focused, ignoring her presence as he sat at the opposite end of the table, starting to work.

She was furious at his aloof demeanor.

She refused to believe their past affection had completely faded.

She half-lay on the table, pressing down on his books.

Her collarbone was directly facing his chest, and her body pressed against his hand.

The man’s fingers paused, and he looked up at her.

Her actions were incredibly provocative, but her gaze remained calm.

She asked: “You don’t love me?”

“I don’t,” the man replied.

“I don’t believe you.”

She snatched the pen from his hand, bringing her cheek close, locking eyes with him.

As their gazes intertwined, emotions surged. Just as he was about to turn his head away, she beat him to it, leaning in to kiss him.

In an unclear relationship, intimate actions were the best solution.

Heartbeats could lie, but the body’s initial reaction wouldn’t.

Her movement was urgent, almost colliding with his lips. Looking down, she saw his Adam’s apple bob.

Very handsome… and very sexy.

These were reactions straight out of the original story, and he hit every beat perfectly.

His response was limited to his Adam’s apple, which naturally frustrated her. She began attempting to go further, pushing him against the cabinet door behind him, placing her palm on his waist, pressing inward with the momentum of her actions.

She heard him grunt softly.

Whether from pain or something else, she wasn’t sure.

She didn’t know how to kiss, but this unexpectedly became her advantage. Her movements were inexperienced, unrestrained, like a small beast whimpering and tugging at her lover, wanting to taste blood.

She tried rubbing against him, biting his lower lip with her teeth, repeatedly stroking it. Her fingers reached up to undo the buttons of his military coat.

The man grabbed her wrist, intending to pull her away, but accidentally touched her wound—

She had burned it earlier while making him soup.

Momentarily distracted, she took it as consent. Her warm fingertips slid in, tracing his collarbone.

The instant she touched his back, the man finally lost control, lifting her up and slamming her onto the desk.

Standing between her legs, she tilted her head back to receive his fierce kiss. The wet sounds of kissing filled the air, his breathing hot and scorching.

It was a deep kiss, requiring complete contact in the mouth, leaving no gaps. She could feel waves of heat pouring into her mouth with every breath.

It was his scent—and it was burning.

For a moment, she even thought he might stick his tongue in to entwine with hers.

But he was a professional actor. Filming was just filming, and no matter how realistic it appeared on camera, he wouldn’t cross the line.

Yan Man had assumed a kissing scene would just involve repetitive actions, and she would likely zone out.

But no, not a single second passed where she did. She felt like cotton candy, melting into his fiery breath, collapsing softly under his intense heat.

Almost simultaneously, he stopped moving, and the director called cut.

Yan Man’s mind went blank, as if scorched by him. As their lips parted, a short thread of saliva stretched between them. She glanced away, unable to think about what it was.

At twenty-two years old, this was her first experience of shame.

Ye Lin turned around and began buttoning his shirt.

Her lips were wet.

Her body felt weak, and her heart tingled. Every part of her was electrified, unable to be soothed in the short term.

She had read the original story, but she hadn’t expected this scene to be so faithfully reproduced.

It was as if they truly were the protagonists, loving each other with such restraint yet intensity.

Though her heart was still racing, she couldn’t resist teasing him. Meeting Ye Lin’s gaze, she praised: “You put a lot of effort into it.”

“...”

Ye Lin turned his head away again.

She shrugged, smiling as she looked toward the director.

However, despite her satisfaction with the scene, the director’s brows were furrowed.

Yan Man’s heartbeat skipped a beat.

It was as if he had discovered something strange, something inexplicable. Alone behind the monitor, the director repeatedly dragged the progress bar back to the same spot, studying something.

What could be so odd? Did Zhou Xuan capture it?

Whatever it was, it seemed very subtle. After confirming it several times, the director finally raised his head.

“Everyone, go touch up your makeup.”

Yan Man paused, hearing the director continue: “We need to shoot it again.”

“...”

She was about to complain, but then she remembered how much fun she had just had.

Hmm, maybe this could count as good news?

Some scenes required multiple takes—it was normal to reshoot a few times.

So she didn’t dwell on it and turned to look at Ye Lin.

He really needed to retouch his makeup.

Their kiss had been so intense that her lipstick had smeared onto his lips. Now, a faint red ring framed his lips, and his lower lip appeared slightly swollen—likely from her excessive force.

“All departments prepare. Second take of the kissing scene.”

Yan Man reached out, her fingertips brushing against the red on the corner of his lips.

“I’ll try to be gentler this time.”