Chapter 40: The Kiss

Making action scenes look good is a science.

The choreography designed by the martial arts director, the execution by the actors, the filming techniques of the director, and the technical skill and aesthetic sense of the editor—all of these determine the quality of the final product.

Gu Lanxi couldn't control the others, but she could ensure her own part was performed to perfection.

She had always been a perfectionist. Ever since she embarked on the path of an actress, she had fallen in love with watching movies.

While ordinary people mostly follow the plot, when she watches a movie, she looks beyond the actors' performances to notice camera angles, lighting, set design, and visual composition.

She was sharp, studious, and possessed a natural talent for it; thus, even though she didn't come from a formal acting background, her skills improved rapidly after her debut.

The movie scheduled to start filming next week featured many action sequences, directed by Gao Yunyi, a director in the domestic entertainment industry renowned for his crime suspense films.

Gu Lanxi had never worked with him before, so lately, she had been spending her free time rewatching his films.

This allowed her to understand his style and filming habits, making it easier to grasp what he wanted once they collaborated.

Past experiences had taught her that thorough preparation made any endeavor proceed much more smoothly.

Though she appeared as gentle as water—moving at a leisurely pace and speaking with unhurried grace—her personal favorites were action movies filled with "violent aesthetics" that sent adrenaline racing, as well as crime films with exceptional fight choreography.

That was why she liked Gao Yunyi's films so much.

In recent years, it had become rare to see female stars in the domestic industry who rose from being action stars.

Gu Lanxi was not only capable of fighting but could do so beautifully. Crucially, her physical appearance was excellent and her personal qualities were strong, which allowed her to establish a firm foothold in the industry within just a few years of her debut.

However, this track was too narrow; taking on similar roles for too long could pigeonhole her, which would be detrimental to her future development.

Therefore, she had been trying new genres over the past two years, such as romance and comedy.

With her looks and the support she received, she could have been famous even as just a "vase" (a pretty face with no talent). With her solid acting skills and a reliable team, it was impossible for her box office numbers to be anything but good.

For instance, the romance film released during the Valentine's Day period in the first half of the year had a budget of only about ten million yuan but earned 356 million at the box office, receiving excellent reviews.

The main reason she took that role was due to its different nature.

Besides helping her become more "famous," she also felt that, as a public figure, she occasionally wanted to make a small, positive impact on the world.

As she watched the movie with intense focus, Lu Nanting did not disturb her, instead simply pulling her close while they scrolled through Weibo together.

With hot searches rising wave after wave, it was impossible for him not to care.

Furthermore, with all his work canceled, he was forced to stay at home, giving him plenty of time to follow the matter.

This morning, the police had issued an official statement detailing the sequence of events and advising the public not to believe or spread rumors.

Subsequently, his official Weibo account reposted the statement, which was then widely shared by various marketing accounts.

As the heat began to subside in the afternoon, he posted the vehicle repair report on his Weibo to prove that last night had indeed been a misunderstanding.

After another wave of buzz passed, as soon as he refreshed his feed, he saw that his studio had issued a lawyer's letter, which was then reposted via his account with the caption: *“To those spreading rumors: the internet is not a lawless land!”*

As the situation progressed in layers, Fan Tiantian proved to be quite experienced.

However, she likely never expected that what should have been a smooth resolution would instead make the already angry fans even more furious!

【In an attempt to suppress the news of her secret marriage, she actually resorted to self-deprecation. As expected of my brother, he's got guts!】

【The police are busy enough every day, and now they have to get involved in this kind of nonsense! *Yuck*~】

【To be honest, at least he didn't expose other people's scandals to suppress his own negative news. I think his character is at least decent.】

【I've seen too many of these filthy dramas in the entertainment industry.】

Fan Tiantian also had her methods. She quickly reported the influencer An'an to the police and hyped up the news, spreading it under the guise of "insider leaks."

So, this wasn't a case of self-deprecation at all; it was a calculated move by someone with ulterior motives!

Since Lu Nanting had not given a direct response regarding the marriage, the fans' anger had no outlet. Seeing this "wild chicken" dancing right in front of them, they stormed An'an's Weibo and tore it apart

【I was wondering why Fan Tiantian had lost her mind by smearing such filth on Brother, turns out it was you, this fake-goods wild chicken, causing trouble!】

【Seriously, anyone dares to jump out and dance now! This is a matter between us and Brother, what the hell are you meddling for!】

【Come to think of it, at a time like this, Brother Ting probably wishes the whole world would ignore him. How could he create a new hot search, especially one as dangerous as this?】

【The nerve! Using my brother as a shield for you! Sisters, let's trend #AnAnIsAFake#! You like hot searches? Since the heat died down, let's send her back up!】

...

When the movie ended and stayed on the credits, Gu Lanxi was still savoring the experience when she heard Lu Nanting ask her

"Wife, are you scared? The whole internet is looking for you right now."

"Hmm? What?"

Seeing that she hadn't snapped out of it yet, Lu Nanting sighed and handed her his phone.

The influencer An'an was posting videos of herself wiping away tears, claiming to be afraid of cyberbullying. While she was busy making excuses, many fans stopped giving her any attention and returned to the topic of Lu Nanting, beginning to dig into the women he was known to be close to, hoping to unmask Gu Lanxi.

"Some 'mother fans' are already bringing up my performances at the bar in the past. It seems someone saw you leaving with me."

Lu Nanting had loved music and the stage since he was a child. A friend had opened a bar that lacked popularity at first and asked for his help, so he had sung there for a period of time.

Gu Lanxi had seen him for the first time at that bar.

After they got together, Lu Nanting would occasionally go there to perform, and Gu Lanxi would go to watch.

Speaking of which, almost all of Lu Nanting's friends knew her and were aware of their previous breakup. Even though the news of their marriage had been out for nearly two days, not a single person had come forward to talk nonsense.

Were they afraid that if the person married to Lu Nanting wasn't her, it would be awkward to mention?

Hearing that people were already digging into things from so long ago, Gu Lanxi wasn't without anxiety, but...

"If we continue to be together for a long time, there will eventually be a day when we are exposed."

Gu Lanxi lowered her head.

Although she hoped that day would come a little later, and even later...

But, she didn't have the final say in this matter.

Sometimes she wanted to just make an official announcement to save herself the constant anxiety, but she simply lacked the courage.

She still remembered how her mother looked when she died—like a flower that had completely withered after losing love.

She was only twelve years old then.

Before she understood the sweetness of love, she had witnessed its most tragic form.

Before meeting Lu Nanting, she hadn't even dared to imagine what it would be like to be in a relationship.

Fear, emanating from her very bones, made it impossible for her to be high-profile in her emotions.

"Am I being particularly ridiculous right now?"

Gu Lanxi took a deep breath, about to say something, when she heard Lu Nanting humming

"Am I being particularly ridiculous right now? Like an ostrich diving headfirst into the sand, Thinking that by hiding its head, Others won't know, When in fact, its tail is more conspicuous than anyone's..."

Gu Lanxi's first thought was that when an ostrich encounters danger, it doesn't hide its head; it has long legs and runs, doesn't it?

Damn it, he guessed her psychological state quite accurately!

Realizing he was mocking her for "covering her ears to steal a bell" (self-deception), Gu Lanxi immediately became annoyed!

Just as she was about to scratch him, he had already hopped up and was running around the sofa.

As he ran, he didn't forget to continue singing

"Don't be afraid, It's not that scary, The things you do, Are not against the law..."

Gu Lanxi rushed back to the bedroom and slammed the door with a "bang."

Lu Nanting chased her to the door and continued singing while pressing against the handle.

Both of them held onto the door handle—the one inside wanted to burst out, while the one outside immediately held the door shut; the one outside wanted to enter, while the one inside pushed back.

It wasn't until he finished his improvised song that the two of them, panting heavily, breathed against the door panel.

"I plan... to name this song... *Only You*... this time... don't even think about retreating..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Gu Lanxi took advantage of his distraction, opened the door, and grabbed him, pulling him inside.

Lu Nanting covered his face with both hands, just about to say, "Domestic violence is fine, just don't hit my face," when he heard a dull "thud"—he had been pinned against the wall by Gu Lanxi.

It happened almost instantaneously.

Her arms wrapped around him, Gu Lanxi pressed his shoulders and jumped directly onto his body.

Her legs circled his waist, her hands dove into his hair, cupping his head, and she kissed him fiercely.

*I also really want a husband like this. When I'm unhappy, he makes up a song to coax me, and I guarantee I'll be coaxed immediately.*

*Unfortunately, my husband only knows how to play "Match the Numbers" with me, and after finishing, he tells me that the principle of all "Match the Numbers" games is the same, they just wear different skins.*

*Having played several different versions of "Match the Numbers," I feel like a total idiot.*

(End of Chapter)