Tang Dingding Extra Story [4]

Tang Dingding stood there, elegant and lively, smiling at him: “Alright, what’s the matter?”

Lu Zhixing glanced at the bag in her hand. Inside were not only candies but also a small, exquisitely cut box of fruit. Meanwhile, Linlin, her assistant, emerged from two doors down, carrying several bags.

Linlin was about to distribute the gifts to the main creative team’s rooms when she spotted them standing by the door and greeted Lu Zhixing with a smile: “Director Lu.”

Lu Zhixing began to understand—this time, Tang Dingding had prepared bribes for all the key members of the production team?

Alright then, the young lady was growing wiser.

He paused for a moment, gazing down at her, and suddenly swallowed the words he had been about to say. Instead, he smiled: “Nothing important. You brought me something again?”

Tang Dingding nodded: “Mm, I figured you should be running out by now.”

She handed him the items.

Lu Zhixing accepted them, noticing that several other key crew members were opening their doors to receive gifts. A few of them saw Tang Dingding standing at Lu Zhixing’s door and didn’t find it unusual—after all, he was the director, so it made sense for Miss Dingding to personally deliver the gifts.

Old Feng chuckled warmly: “Thank you, thank you! Dingding, you’re too kind.”

Tang Dingding turned back and smiled: “It’s nothing, just some candy and fruit. I prepared them on the side.”

After everyone had received their gifts, they returned to their rooms.

Tang Dingding remained standing by the door. Lu Zhixing leaned against the doorway, watching her with amusement, and teased: “You’ve given me so many things—isn’t it time I returned the favor?”

Tang Dingding quickly replied: “No, no need to return anything! Since Linlin likes eating them, I buy them every few days anyway. And…” She paused, raising her cheerful face, “you’ve helped me so much—you explain scenes carefully and have taught me a lot. When we get back to Beijing, I’ll treat you to a meal.”

Lu Zhixing couldn’t help but chuckle. He had originally intended to tell her to stop sending him candy, but somehow the words never came out, and now he’d inadvertently earned himself a dinner invitation. Little Dingding was truly warm-hearted and generous. He laughed softly: “Let’s talk about it after filming wraps up.”

For some reason, he didn’t want to refuse her.

Just moments ago, he had planned to discuss stopping the candy deliveries—but then he thought, why bother? Besides filming, there wasn’t much entertainment on set. At most, they would gather for meals. Her schedule wasn’t packed, and she rarely left the set. If giving out candy was one of her little joys, then let her do as she pleased.

Lu Zhixing took out the fruit and ate it. As for the boxes of candy, he didn’t stuff them back into the wardrobe this time—they sat prominently on the table, occasionally nibbled on.

________________________________________

When Tang Dingding returned to her room and was about to review the script after her bath, her phone buzzed.

Huo Chendong had sent her a message on WeChat: “Dingding, how’s filming going?”

Tang Dingding glanced at it, picked up her phone, and replied: “Smoothly.”

Huo Chendong: “If you have time, I’ll visit the set and see you.”

Tang Dingding hesitated for a moment. If this had been in the past, she might have been thrilled and excited, possibly even checking flight tickets and arranging for her driver to pick him up. But now, the two of them had reverted to their original dynamic.

Huo Chendong was her childhood neighbor, her brother’s good friend—nothing more.

She responded with a bouncing rabbit emoji.

________________________________________

A week later, Huo Chendong arrived. At the time, Tang Dingding was in the middle of filming a tender scene between the male and female leads. The main creative team paused to greet him. Huo Chendong smiled: “Don’t fuss over me—I’m just here to take a look.”

Only Tang Xin greeted him warmly: “President Huo.”

Huo Chendong: “….”

He raised an eyebrow: “Little Sweetheart, don’t call me President Huo. You’ll be the future boss’s wife—your position will outrank mine.”

Tang Xin: “….”

She tested: “Little Huo?”

Huo Chendong: “…Forget it, just call me by my name.”

At that moment, Lu Zhixing called out: “Pass.”

Huo Chendong looked toward the filming area where Tang Dingding was and smiled: “Dingding’s so capable—one take and it’s done?”

Lu Zhixing rested his hand on the camera equipment, straightening up and lazily smirking: “Not quite. She’s already done nine NGs.”

Huo Chendong chuckled: “Director Lu, please go easy on her. Dingding’s still young and inexperienced. If you must scold her, do it gently.”

Lu Zhixing pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Upon hearing this, he glanced up at Huo Chendong and smiled: “Don’t worry—she can’t be scolded. She’s too precious.”

Scolding her would make her cry.

Everyone laughed.

They all knew—Miss Dingding carried a hundred million yuan investment with her and was considered incredibly precious. Hence the nickname “precious.”

Huo Chendong assumed Lu Zhixing was speaking out of respect for Shiguang Entertainment and the hundred million yuan investment. He casually accepted the cigarette Lu Zhixing offered, and the two men stood behind the monitor smoking. Tang Dingding walked over, looking somewhat disheveled.

After so many NGs, she had mentally prepared herself for a scolding.

Looking up, she spotted them and froze for a moment.

Huo Chendong waved her over: “Dingding, come here.”

Tang Dingding hadn’t expected him to actually show up. Smiling, she approached: “Huo Ge.”

After greeting him, she turned to Lu Zhixing, her voice tinged with regret and self-reflection: “Director Lu, I’m sorry for all the NGs earlier…”

Lu Zhixing exhaled a puff of smoke, casually smiling: “Everything else is fine—it’s just the intimate scenes that are harder to film. It’s probably due to lack of chemistry. It’s tough at the beginning, especially since you lack experience. Don’t worry about it.”

When he mentioned “lack of experience,” he was referring to acting.

After all, filming intimate scenes—even if it was just hugging or flirting—with someone who wasn’t your boyfriend could feel awkward at first. This was especially true for someone like Tang Dingding, who had been raised with strict etiquette. It wasn’t easy.

Actresses with prior romantic experience tended to handle such scenes more smoothly. However, Tang Dingding’s performance was still very raw. Lu Zhixing guessed she likely hadn’t dated much—or had very little physical contact.

Upon hearing his words, Tang Dingding finally brightened up.

Huo Chendong had been watching her. After casually extinguishing his cigarette, he said: “Tonight, I’ll treat the crew to dinner, Director Lu. Could you book a place?”

Lu Zhixing had known Huo Chendong for a long time, but they weren’t particularly close. Smiling faintly, he thanked him and instructed his assistant to reserve a restaurant.

There were still two hours before wrapping up.

Huo Chendong stood nearby, watching Tang Dingding on the monitor. She was performing well—better than he had anticipated. Even if she fell short in some areas, what did it matter? With the Tang family paving her way, even if she didn’t become a major star, she could still carve out a niche as a refined ingenue.

Promptly at six o’clock, they wrapped up filming, and the group headed en masse to the restaurant.

During dinner, Tang Dingding sat between Tang Xin and Huo Chendong. She appeared normal, accepting dishes Huo Chendong served her without hesitation. Their relationship had always been transparent—Huo Chendong knew she liked him, and he likely also knew she was waiting for him.

In the past, even though he wouldn’t reciprocate her feelings, he wouldn’t hurt her either—he treated her kindly.

Whenever they ate together, he would serve her dishes. Occasionally, he would peel shrimp and place them in her bowl, just as he was doing now. There were three peeled shrimp in her bowl. How to put it…? In the past, she had both loved and resented him.

Lu Zhixing sat across from them, vaguely sensing something but dismissing it as impossible. After all, he knew what kind of person Huo Chendong was, and most of those tabloid stories were likely true.

He leaned back in his chair, drinking a couple of cups with Old Feng, absentmindedly glancing at Tang Dingding from time to time.

Her mood seemed slightly lower than usual during the crew dinner.

Tang Dingding drank a glass of wine. After the meal, she looked at Huo Chendong and smiled: “Huo Ge, do you want to buy some local specialties? Xiamen has quite a few.”

Huo Chendong was surprised, pausing before laughing: “Sure, what’s available?”

Tang Dingding: “Nougat, and the Western pastries are pretty good too.”

Her assistant had a knack for finding delicious treats. Even though they hadn’t been in Xiamen long, Linlin already knew all the best places. Of course, these local specialties could also be bought online, but Huo Chendong probably hadn’t purchased any before. The two of them strolled along the street. Tang Dingding wasn’t very well-known yet, so not many people recognized her. She confidently led Huo Chendong to buy some local specialties.

Tang Dingding picked up several boxes of nougat and a few boxes of small pastries. Suddenly, Linlin asked: “Dingding, should we get some for Director Lu?”

“Ah.” Tang Dingding calculated the time—it had been about ten days—and smiled: “Let’s get one more set.”

Huo Chendong frowned slightly: “You’re still buying candy for the director?”

Tang Dingding blinked innocently: “Director Lu likes candy. Sending him a few boxes might save me from being scolded.”

Huo Chendong: “….”

He furrowed his brow and reminded her: “Even if you don’t send him anything, you don’t need to worry about being scolded. Before I leave, I’ll have a word with him.”

“No!” Tang Dingding quickly stopped him. “I’ve already told my brother that while I’m on set, he shouldn’t interfere or meddle with the director. I want to focus on acting properly. Sometimes, when the director scolds someone, it’s justified. Besides, Director Lu doesn’t scold people without reason.”

Seeing how she defended Lu Zhixing, Huo Chendong felt a faint pang in his heart. He lowered his head and forced a bitter smile: “Alright, alright. I won’t interfere.”

Tang Dingding finally smiled. With their purchases complete, they returned to the hotel. She took a large bag from Linlin and handed it to Huo Chendong: “If you don’t eat these, take them home for Aunt Chen—or give them to your girlfriend.”

Aunt Chen was Huo Chendong’s mother.

As for a girlfriend…

Huo Chendong: “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

A flicker of thought crossed Tang Dingding’s mind, and she smiled: “You’ll have one eventually. I’m going back to rest now—I have to get up early tomorrow for filming, so I won’t see you off.” She waved goodbye as she stepped out of the elevator, glancing back at him one last time with a final smile: “Goodnight.”

The elevator doors slowly closed.

Tang Dingding lowered her head and sighed softly.

Linlin cautiously asked: “Dingding, what’s wrong?”

Tang Dingding shook her head, her tone returning to its usual lightness: “Nothing. I’m going to give this candy to Director Lu.”

Lu Zhixing opened his door to find the young girl standing there, holding an elegant paper bag. He smirked lazily: “Isn’t it supposed to be tomorrow?” By now, he had grown accustomed to her schedule—she delivered gifts every ten days like clockwork.

Today was only the ninth day.

Tang Dingding froze for a moment, feeling flustered: “You even keep track of the timing…?”

Lu Zhixing had an excellent memory. After the second delivery, he subconsciously calculated the interval—it was exactly ten days, always punctual.

He nodded with a faint smile: “I just remembered your schedule.”

After parting ways with Huo Chendong, Tang Dingding’s mood hadn’t been great. But now, her heart warmed unexpectedly. She handed over the candy, her sweet smile glowing: “This time, there are also some cookies. I tried them—they taste pretty good.”

Lu Zhixing felt a phantom toothache.

Recently, his sugar intake likely exceeded that of the entire previous year.

Leaning against the doorframe, Lu Zhixing tilted his head and teased lazily: “Dingding, guess what I’m going to do first thing when I get back to Beijing?”

Tang Dingding looked confused: “What?”

Lu Zhixing didn’t answer immediately, his deep black eyes locking onto hers with a mischievous glint. Tang Dingding found herself drawn to his gaze, her heart racing and cheeks flushing involuntarily. She struggled to guess: “Editing footage?”

Lu Zhixing shook his head: “No.”

She guessed a few more times.

Still, he shook his head.

The little girl grew disheartened, murmuring softly: “Then I can’t guess…”

Lu Zhixing pressed his tongue against his lower teeth and chuckled softly: “The first thing I’m going to do when I get back to Beijing is visit the dentist. I’ve been eating so much candy lately—I wonder if I’ll get cavities.”

Tang Dingding froze in shock, then blushed furiously once she realized what he meant.

Lu Zhixing had only intended to tease her, but he hadn’t expected her previously pale face to turn beet red at such a visible speed. He lowered his head, pressing his temples, and laughed: “Sis, I was just joking. No need to feel embarrassed.”

Tang Dingding felt deeply awkward, her face flushed with embarrassment as she pointed at the candy in his hand: “I… Can I take it back?”

Lu Zhixing let his hand drop, shaking his head with a smile: “That’s not allowed—I’ve already accepted it.”

She persisted: “Then I won’t bring candy next time…”

“Then what will you bring?”

The reason she brought candy was because it was both beautiful and tasty, and Director Lu had mentioned liking sweets. Other gifts might not be accepted, and they’d feel strange. Candy was simple—he wouldn’t refuse it.

Now, she was truly stumped.

After pondering for a moment, she looked at him innocently: “Then what do you like?”

Lu Zhixing stopped teasing her and smiled: “Can’t you tell I was joking? You don’t need to go out of your way to pick gifts for me. I won’t scold you too much anymore—nowadays, whenever I get a bit stern, Old Feng, Old Yuan, and Tang Xin all step in to mediate.”

Tang Dingding: “…Oh.”

Lu Zhixing: “Go rest. You have to get up early tomorrow.”

After Tang Dingding left, Old Feng stealthily opened his door across the hall, grinning widely: “Eh? Dingding came to give you candy again?”

The hotel’s soundproofing was decent, and their voices weren’t loud. Old Feng had coincidentally been washing up and heard them since their rooms were adjacent. Lu Zhixing glanced at him and said blandly: “You’re really nosy.”

With that, he turned and closed the door.

Old Feng: “….”

Tsk, wasn’t he just trying to see if there was something going on between him and Dingding?

Between men and women, repeated interactions over time could turn nothing into something.

________________________________________

The next morning, Huo Chendong visited the set briefly. Tang Dingding was filming, so he didn’t disturb her. After watching from afar for a while, he turned to his driver: “Let’s go. To the airport.”

Once this brief interlude passed, Tang Dingding’s state returned to normal.

The production progressed smoothly. Two weeks before the end of filming, Tang Dingding faced the biggest challenge of her acting career yet—a kissing scene.

This scene was pivotal, with eight cameras capturing it simultaneously. Tang Dingding had been nervous since the afternoon, and by 7:30 PM, Lu Zhixing called her and Pengzhou over to go over the scene. The three of them stood in a spacious office lobby, far from the cameras and crew, where it was quiet. Lu Zhixing’s voice was low and serious as Tang Dingding listened attentively, her lips pursed.

After explaining the main points of the scene, Lu Zhixing looked at them: “Later, you two can try it once without the kiss—just practice the body movements. If it doesn’t work, I’ll demonstrate with Old Feng.”

Tang Dingding’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at him: “Demonstrate… with Old Feng???”

Was Director Lu so dedicated that he would personally demonstrate a kissing scene?

Lu Zhixing realized her misunderstanding and laughed: “Not kissing him—just demonstrating the body movements.”

Tang Dingding awkwardly replied: “…I know.”

As if she did.

Lu Zhixing glanced at her, sensing her nervousness. He turned to Pengzhou: “Go prepare for now.”

After Pengzhou left, Lu Zhixing looked at Tang Dingding, his voice lowering slightly: “Are you ready?”

Tang Dingding stammered a bit: “I’m ready… I’ve already rinsed my mouth.”

Before filming a kissing scene, rinsing one’s mouth was a sign of respect for the other actor. Even though she had no noticeable breath issues and had brushed her teeth meticulously before using mouthwash, she still felt it necessary.

Lu Zhixing chuckled, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the table behind him. He glanced down at her: “There’s no way to fake this scene with camera tricks. Before filming began, I asked if you were okay with shooting a kissing scene, and you said yes.”

Tang Dingding looked up at him. Back then…

Back then, she had already given up on Huo Chendong and decided to enter the entertainment industry. While intimate scenes could sometimes be avoided, kissing scenes were inevitable unless she was extremely picky about the roles she took. But since she had chosen this path, she didn’t want to make herself an exception.

Tang Dingding nodded: “Mm…”

Lu Zhixing narrowed his eyes slightly but carefully asked: “Before we start, I need to confirm—is this your first kiss?”

Tang Dingding’s heart skipped a beat, her face flushing red. She nodded again: “Mm…”

Lu Zhixing now understood.

For some reason, he felt a slight pang in his chest. He exhaled softly: “Will you regret giving your first kiss to the screen?”

Tang Dingding paused, deep in thought. Who wouldn’t want their first kiss to be with someone they loved? But now, she didn’t have anyone she liked. She wasn’t sure if she regretted it—she just felt a tinge of melancholy, nervousness, and an inexplicable emptiness.

Lu Zhixing kept his gaze on her, his emotions complex. He couldn’t help but furrow his brow: “If…”

After more than ten seconds of silence, Tang Dingding snapped out of her thoughts and interrupted him: “Let’s film it. I won’t regret it.”

Lu Zhixing remained silent for a few moments before letting out a soft sigh: “Alright. Then adjust your mood and try not to… NG too many times, okay?”

NG…

Oh right, if they kept having to reshoot, wouldn’t that mean kissing over and over again?!

Tang Dingding was startled by the realization and quickly said: “I’ll do my best to get it right in one take!”

Lu Zhixing was amused, his lips twitching into a faint smile as he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked toward the filming location—a small office where tonight’s shoot would take place. His tall, upright figure was clad in casual wear. Tang Dingding followed behind him, listening as he spoke: “Later, I’ll demonstrate a few times with Old Feng. You and Pengzhou can practice and get a feel for it. Once you’re comfortable, we’ll shoot. Try to get it right in one take.”

Perhaps this way, she’d feel less uneasy.

Back in the small office, Lu Zhixing called out: “Old Feng, lend me a hand.”

Old Feng: “…Can’t you pick someone else?”

Though directors usually demonstrated actions with male actors out of respect for female performers, did he really have to choose him every single time?

Lu Zhixing shot him a glance: “You’re softer and curvier, with better expressions.”

Damn.

Wasn’t that basically calling him fat?

Old Feng protested: “Where am I soft?!”

Lu Zhixing didn’t hold back: “Your belly.”

That settled it—he wasn’t working anymore.

But Lu Zhixing wouldn’t let him leave. He dragged him over, looked at Tang Dingding and Pengzhou, checked the camera positions, and began demonstrating. Old Feng, “soft and delicate,” was pushed to the edge of the desk, his waist bumping against the table.

Then, he was lifted and placed on the desk.

Old Feng: “Hahaha, impressive that you managed to lift me with one hand—I’m almost 180 pounds!”

Lu Zhixing’s expression remained neutral, though his lips twitched slightly: “Don’t brag—it nearly broke my arm.”

Tang Dingding couldn’t help but laugh. At this moment, Lu Zhixing seemed particularly charming. Everything he did appeared so earnest and dedicated, striving for perfection.

The others couldn’t resist laughing either.

Director Lu was truly making sacrifices!

For the sake of the movie, he even lifted Old Feng, a middle-aged man verging on forty who had gained weight!

Old Yuan shouted with laughter: “Let’s give Director Lu extra chicken legs tonight!”

Tang Xin was also amused and filmed the scene, sending it to Tang Yu with the caption: “Make it two chicken legs.”

After a while, Tang Dingding and Pengzhou practiced a few times. Old Yuan laughed: “This definitely looks much better. The earlier version was too hard on the eyes. Handsome man, beautiful woman—this is refreshing!”

Tang Xin smirked: “Stop exaggerating. Director Lu is quite handsome too, you know. The problem was Old Feng.”

Old Feng: “….”

Why bring up personal attacks when casually teasing?!

“Not right,” Lu Zhixing interjected, looking at Pengzhou. “What’s wrong with your right hand?”

He had been using his left hand to embrace during the demonstration, which wasn’t correct.

Pengzhou looked a bit embarrassed: “I strained my right hand while working out. It’s weak, so I can only use my left hand to lift…”

Tang Dingding was 168 cm tall and slim, but she weighed over 90 pounds. Lifting her with one hand still required strength. Pengzhou worked out regularly, so it wasn’t usually an issue, but now his right hand genuinely couldn’t handle it.

Lu Zhixing thought for a moment: “Let’s try using your left hand.” Just as he turned around, he called out to Old Feng again: “Come here.”

Old Feng sulked, smiling mischievously: “Nope, too painful for the eyes.”

Tang Dingding thought for a moment and quietly suggested: “Director, why don’t you teach me directly? That way, I can get more familiar with it.”

Lu Zhixing hesitated for a moment. He generally avoided touching female actors unless they initiated it. After a brief pause, he nodded lightly: “Alright.”

The scene began with physical entanglement near the office sofa, progressing through pushing and shoving until they reached the desk. Lu Zhixing’s hand on her waist started off gently. As he guided her movements, he instructed: “Use your hands to push against my chest.”

Tang Dingding, nervous, replied: “Oh…”

The next second, she felt herself being tightly embraced around the waist.

Lu Zhixing whispered: “Use both your hands and feet—kick me, hit my neck.”

Tang Dingding: “….”

She had managed to hit Pengzhou earlier, but now her heart raced uncontrollably. Relying purely on memory, she acted mechanically. As they moved closer to the desk, switching to his left hand changed their positioning, making their steps chaotic.

Her high heels, though not very high, were thin and accidentally got caught in the tangled wires on the left side. When Lu Zhixing pushed her back, she suddenly couldn’t move. Her foot twisted, her shoe fell off, and she stumbled backward, her face pale. Instinctively, she grabbed onto Lu Zhixing’s collar.

With lightning-fast reflexes, Lu Zhixing caught her.

In that split second, their lips collided. Reacting swiftly, Lu Zhixing turned his face slightly. The softness of her lips brushed past the corner of his mouth, and her head rested against his shoulder, frozen stiff.

Lu Zhixing: First kiss?

Little Lamb: …Yeah.

________________________________________

I went to great lengths to make Little Lamb give her first kiss to Director Lu! Praise me, praise me~

Recently, post-marriage stories are all the rage! Let me recommend a sweet, sweet novel by my good friend An Ning: Indulgent Marriage . You can find it on the app—go check it out!

Synopsis:

Xu Yansong, the richest man in City A, marries Jiang Yan, who comes from a humble background. Everyone assumes he married her for her beauty while she married him for his wealth.

Jiang Yan believed the same.

However, after marriage, Xu Yansong made her sleep in the guest room.

When rumors spread that this loveless marriage would soon end, Xu Yansong splurged on a villa with a pool for Jiang Yan, simply because she mentioned wanting to learn how to swim.

At an extravagant banquet, Jiang Yan complained that her high heels hurt. In front of everyone, Xu Yansong carried his beloved wife away.

From then on, people claimed Xu Yansong was utterly bewitched by Jiang Yan’s beauty and spoiled her endlessly.

When Jiang Yan returned home, she desperately tried to explain to her friends: “Nothing has happened between us! I haven’t even entered the master bedroom!”

Suddenly, a low chuckle came from above: “You want to sleep in the master bedroom? Alright.”

The next second, she was scooped up and carried into the master bedroom.

And she never came out again.

After that night, Jiang Yan finally believed that Xu Yansong was truly captivated by her beauty—and his demands were insatiable. QAQ~