Life's Illusion: She Likes Me

Not to burst forth in silence, but to perish in silence!

What Bai Youlou didn't expect was that Long Ziqiang actually seemed to have a real talent for acting.

The movie "Whiplash" doesn't exactly align with universal values; it's a bit rebellious.

Geniuses forced out by that kind of extreme pressure, only because they were geniuses to begin with, with the potential to be pushed.

If it were someone without talent, being squeezed and abused like that would most likely lead to a breakdown, with very few truly achieving rebirth.

But what makes this movie so captivating is that most people don't consider themselves ordinary, mediocre individuals.

Even if they say so, who in their heart of hearts doesn't want a chance to leap over the dragon gate?

So, during the process of Bai Youlou "training" Long Ziqiang, he was actually very careful about the boundaries, so as not to completely break this older young man.

Of course, it was precisely because the other party was an older young man; if it were a younger one, Bai Youlou might not have dared to play like this.

Then Long Ziqiang gave him a surprise.

After just a few days of pressure, he quickly got into character.

Soon, his "deterrent power" on set was almost on par with Bai Youlou's. After all, Long Ziqiang had the advantage of good looks, exuding a low-pressure aura the moment he appeared.

Even Old Zhou felt that Long Ziqiang was being led astray by Bai Youlou, becoming a bit too immersed. Bai Youlou could easily step out of character, but Long Ziqiang couldn't. As he got deeper into the role, his demeanor off-screen became more frightening.

He could only be thankful that the filming period for this movie wasn't long. Otherwise, Old Zhou genuinely worried that Bai Youlou hadn't "recovered" yet, only to have another person go crazy.

At the same time, seeing the beautiful girl Bai Youlou had so easily "lured" in, Old Zhou felt a twinge in his back molars.

This guy never had such good luck with women before!

Even after "going crazy," he still had this effect?

His reputation was already ruined, yet there were still those who didn't believe it and came knocking on his door.

Zhang Xiaorong, sitting beside Bai Youlou and quietly reading the script, seemed to notice Old Zhou's gaze, but she didn't look up, continuing to read her script.

Even when sitting on a bench, she habitually maintained an upright posture. Years of dancing had cultivated a temperament that made her particularly eye-catching when she was simply present.

So, Zhang Xiaorong was already accustomed to being scrutinized.

After reading the script Bai Youlou had given her and understanding the role she was to play, Zhang Xiaorong, despite her outward composure, was actually a little nervous.

Because she didn't know how to act.

Regarding the sudden request to play the "female lead" in a movie, Zhang Xiaorong was actually quite passive.

She initially just couldn't resist An Luning's pleading, so she came to see what the situation was.

But what kind of person was Bai Youlou?

A thief never leaves empty-handed.

If he didn't make use of a beautiful woman who appeared out of nowhere, wouldn't that be a waste?

The so-called female lead in the movie didn't have much screen time, primarily just two scenes.

One was being chatted up by the protagonist, and then they went on a date.

The other was when the protagonist "killed his wife to achieve enlightenment," breaking up with his girlfriend before he started "going crazy" practicing the drums.

The only requirement for this role was to be as beautiful as possible.

The more beautiful she was, the stronger the protagonist's resolve would appear.

Clearly, Zhang Xiaorong fit this perfectly; she was a sight to behold the moment she stood there.

And she wasn't the kind of "lost in the crowd" ordinary influencer-type beauty. She possessed a unique aura, like an orchid in a secluded valley, making her unforgettable at first glance.

To put it bluntly, casting her as the female lead, viewers might suspect the protagonist had some physiological issues after watching this movie.

You're breaking up with her?!

Come to think of it, it feels like it might be a bit too much.

But if Bai Youlou had to find another female lead, he felt it wasn't necessary. He had someone readily available, so he might as well use her, as her role was minimal anyway.

Finally finishing a segment, the crew took a temporary break. Sweating profusely, he sat down on the director's small stool, picked up a bottle of mineral water, and chugged it down.

Directing and acting was physically demanding, and Bai Youlou didn't care about his image anymore.

Fortunately, the beautiful lady didn't show any signs of disgust. After finishing the script, she remained seated quietly, occasionally glancing at Bai Youlou.

After waiting for two minutes, confirming he was alright, Zhang Xiaorong finally spoke, "Director, was the song you sang that day written by you?"

"Yes," Bai Youlou admitted without any psychological pressure, his face not blushing and his heart not skipping a beat.

If one doesn't have this much thick skin when plagiarizing, they should go home and sell sweet potatoes.

"That's amazing," Zhang Xiaorong praised sincerely.

"You heard it all outside the door that day?"

"Mm."

"Say thank you."

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaorong was stunned. Looking at Bai Youlou's smiling face, she unexpectedly said in a very serious tone, "Thank you."

"Ah, this~"

Bai Youlou had originally just wanted to tease this beautiful woman, but her reaction left him speechless.

He casually blurted out, "Is that why you've been coming around our set these past few days?"

Zhang Xiaorong shook her head, then nodded. "Not entirely, there are other reasons too."

"What reasons?"

"I can't tell you."

Hiss.

Honestly, Zhang Xiaorong wasn't some ice queen. Her voice was clear and crisp, yet gentle, and her expression was usually a faint smile. She was open and friendly, never putting on a cold front that pushed people away.

But paradoxically, this made Bai Youlou feel even more that this girl was hard to win over.

Most ice queens weren't as unapproachable as they seemed; their cold demeanor was often just a "do not disturb" sign or a defensive mechanism born from insecurity.

An experienced guy might even win them over faster than an average girl.

But someone like Zhang Xiaorong... you basically had to rely on luck or fate.

However, what Bai Youlou found strange was that she seemed to enjoy talking to him when she had free time, which didn't quite fit her "persona."

She kept asking about him – why he made movies, how many songs he'd written...

It once gave Bai Youlou the same misconception many guys have at some point in their lives:

She likes me!

Fortunately, Bai Youlou was an old rogue and quickly snapped out of this delusion.

He then began to suspect the girl's motives. Could someone be trying to get him, to kick him while he was down?! Had they found a beautiful woman to act as a spy?

But given his current reputation in the entertainment industry, which was like dog shit, there wasn't much point in targeting him. It was practically equivalent to him retiring from the industry anyway.

So he didn't think too deeply about the worst-case scenario.

Besides, Director He had visited several times and introduced Zhang Xiaorong as a teacher from her academy. She was young, beautiful, and had a great figure, already a teacher at her age. What "huge conspiracy" could she possibly have against him?

Old Zhou, upon hearing about this, also became a little interested.

He mainly wanted to know how Bai Youlou would deal with this "spy" with "impure intentions."

This was easy to handle.

Bai Youlou waved his hand grandly, "Add a kissing scene and a bed scene."

Old Zhou looked disgusted. "You just want to kiss her, don't you?! Our movie doesn't need any intimate scenes; forcing them in will ruin the film's feel."

Bai Youlou was quite righteous. "Just because I shoot it doesn't mean I have to use it! I can just cut it from the final cut~ We're not using film, it's just wasting some memory."

Faced with such rogue behavior, Old Zhou slapped his own thigh. Damn it, why couldn't he direct and act himself!

This was allowed?!