Chapter 137: Kissing Scene
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
On the way home, Xia Xin was lost in thought, so engrossed that she seemed to be in another world altogether.
MO Shu noticed Xia Xin’s dazed expression and approached her, “Did Jing MO drop you off?”
Subconsciously, Xia Xin nodded before realizing her mistake. She hastily looked up at MO Shu, shaking her head, and said, “No.”
MO Shu chuckled, “We’re not really a couple, you know. No need to be secretive.”
Relieved, Xia Xin replied, “Yes, that’s true.”
Both sat down on small chairs near the set, creating an intimate circle of conversation.
Seeming nonchalant, MO Shu asked, “So what’s the deal between you and Jing
MO now?”
“We’re friends,” Xia Xin said.
“Friends who can give rides to and from work?” MO Shu inquired.
Xia Xin didn’t respond to that.
Finding that no explanation would suffice, Xia Xin finally conceded, “It’s complicated, and not what you’re thinking. So please, don’t jump to conclusions.”
MO Shu didn’t press Xia Xin further on the topic. He said, “The director says our kissing scene has been moved up. We’re shooting it tonight.”
Startled, Xia Xin sprang up, “What? Tonight? Why the sudden change?”
MO Shu laughed, “It’s not uncommon for scenes to be shuffled around. You’ll get used to the unpredictability as you do more projects.”
Though Xia Xin’s reaction filled MO Shu with a vague sense of disappointment, he shifted the conversation, “I have some good news. I passed the audition from the day before yesterday. After wrapping up this drama, I’m moving on to
the next project.”
Xia Xin’s face lit up and said, “Really? That’s fantastic!”
MO Shu eyed Xia Xin carefully and said, “There’s a role for a third female lead, the younger sister of the second male lead. Would you be interested? I could put in a good word for you with the director.”
Quickly doing the math, Xia Xin said, “So the second male lead’s sister would essentially be your sister on screen, right?”
MO Shu nodded and said, “And it’s a big-budget production. With our
‘relationship’ hyping things up, it could boost your fan following.”
The prospect of gaining more fans clinched it for Xia Xin. She instantly agreed.
They settled on auditioning the next afternoon, with MO Shu accompanying her to the set. After making their plans, he forwarded her the script segments for the audition.
As Xia Xin was deeply engrossed in her script, MO Shu mischievously asked,
“Nervous about the kissing scene we have to shoot later?”
Xia Xin’s face scrunched up like a bitter gourd. She said, “I had forgotten about it until you reminded me. Now I’m anxious again.”
MO Shu tried to comfort her, “Don’t worry. I’ll use stage tricks; we won’t actually kiss. But in this industry, intimate scenes are inevitable. If not now, then definitely later.”
Xia Xin sighed, “Better to dodge one bullet while I can.”
Xia Xin couldn’t bear the idea of such intimacy with someone she had no feelings for.
Surprisingly, the scene was filmed faster than Xia Xin had anticipated, and it went off without a hitch. MO Shu’s emotions felt unusually authentic and compelling, easily drawing her into the narrative.
At moments, Xia Xin felt as though MO Shu was looking at her with the eyes of someone deeply in love. It was so persuasive that she, too, found herself engrossed, even heartbroken at times.
The one moment Xia Xin broke character was when MO Shut s face drew increasingly close to hers. Instinctively, she wanted to pull back, but he cupped the back of her head just in time and landed a soft kiss at the corner of her lips.
Stunned, Xia Xin looked into MO Shu t s eyes. They were so close that she could see her own astonished reflection in his pupils.
For a moment, Xia Xin was puzzled. She thought, ‘Isn’t the plan to avoid contact? Why did he kiss mv lip’s corner?’
MO Shu was equally shocked. He had intended to stage it, yet somehow, he’d ended up kissing the corner of her mouth. Fortunately, he snapped back to reality. Otherwise, the target could have easily been her soft, luscious lips.
Frozen in their intimate pose, both seemed to forget how to react until the director called, “Cut!”
Slowly, MO Shu released his hold on her and stepped back, leaving Xia Xin still bewildered as the crew went off to review the take.
During playback, the director said to Mo Shu, “You two really make a convincing couple. This is why scenes like this are so much easier to shoot. One
take, and it’s perfect.”