Who is Helping Me Win by Lying Down [Transmigration] - Chapter 52

Chapter 52

It wasn’t just He Qiyu.

After Chen Shu arrived on set, everyone who saw him immediately noticed the wound at the corner of his mouth.

The position of this injury was simply too conspicuous, making it impossible to ignore.

Even Cui Jiancheng, who had been directing Duan Xu and Mu Qingxue, couldn’t help but put down his script and walk over when he caught sight of it.

Chen Shu?

Chen Shu was heading toward the dressing room and turned at the sound. Director Cui.

Mu Qingxue, who was following behind Cui Jiancheng, gasped. Chen Shu, your mouth!

Duan Xu’s smile faltered for a fleeting moment.

Cui Jiancheng chuckled. I never expected Teacher Chen to enjoy keeping a mistress.

He Qiyu sighed inwardly.

She knew this would happen.

Now there was no hiding it from anyone.

Mu Qingxue looked at him curiously. So you have a girlfriend?

He Qiyu silently complained to herself.

Not just a girlfriend, but a clingy spirit at that.

Cui Jiancheng cleared his throat. I understand you young people have plenty of energy, but we’re in the middle of filming. This makes things quite difficult for me.

He Qiyu wholeheartedly agreed.

Exactly! So inconsiderate of the bigger picture. The clingy spirit knew Chen Shu was still filming, yet still caused this kind of trouble—wasn’t this deliberately trying to expose Chen Shu on camera?

Chen Shu said, It was just an accident.

As he spoke, he recalled Yan Jingchuan’s explanation for this accident that morning and added, It won’t happen again.

Mu Qingxue stared in surprise at the faint smile on his lips, taking a second to process it before grinning. Well, we’ve been filming for almost three months now. It’s only natural Teacher Chen would get a little excited when he finally got to see his girlfriend!

Though Chen Shu had always been the center of attention on set, she’d never seen him be pleasant to anyone outside of filming. Discovering he actually had a girlfriend made her unbearably curious.

Because it seemed certain that Chen Shu treated his girlfriend differently from how he treated outsiders.

Just look at that wound on his lip.

How passionate! How fiery!

Even if the passion didn’t come from Chen Shu himself, it still represented his indulgence.

Usually when she saw Chen Shu, she felt either pressure or motivation. Even though Chen Shu was easy to talk to, she always felt he was unapproachable. But today, seeing him with that injured lip somehow made him feel a bit closer.

After making her joke, Mu Qingxue nudged Duan Xu beside her. Right, Teacher Duan?

Duan Xu looked at Chen Shu, his gaze sliding over the wound at his mouth, and forced a smile. Right.

Never mind, what’s done is done, Cui Jiancheng said, rolling up his script and tapping it against his palm. We can’t cover this up. Fortunately, we haven’t started the outdoor scene yet. Let’s add another scene for you and Qingxue—we’ll pretend the injury happened during the story.

Mu Qingxue asked, How are you going to add it, Director Cui?

Cui Jiancheng stroked his chin and quickly came up with an idea. Chen Shu got injured because of his girlfriend, and you play his girlfriend in the drama. Let’s add a passionate kissing scene!

Ah? Mu Qingxue’s mouth fell open as she looked at Chen Shu.

Cui Jiancheng also asked Chen Shu, What do you think?

Chen Shu said, That’s fine.

He Qiyu was shocked.

The clingy spirit wasn’t just clingy—she was also incredibly jealous. Last time, even the aborted marketing between Chen Shu and Duan Xu had made her wildly jealous. If Chen Shu filmed a kissing scene, wouldn’t her mountains and seas of jealousy explode?

Then she heard Chen Shu add—

But it has to be a faked shot.

He Qiyu felt a pang of bitterness upon hearing this.

If only Chen Shu cared about her words even one-tenth as much as he did about that clingy spirit.

A faked shot? Cui Jiancheng was taken aback.

In his memory, Chen Shu’s standards for filming were so high that they surpassed even his own pursuit of perfection. His performance before the camera had always been precise and flawless. This was the first time Chen Shu had made such a request of him.

But remembering that Chen Shu now had a girlfriend, he teased, Of course we’ll fake it. Wouldn’t want you to have trouble explaining things when you get home.

Mu Qingxue whispered to Duan Xu, It seems Teacher Chen and his girlfriend have a really good relationship. This actually makes me a bit nervous.

Duan Xu remained silent.

Cui Jiancheng had already moved to the filming area, communicating with various departments to make preparations, adjusting camera angles, ready to shoot the newly added scene first.

After Chen Shu changed his costume and returned, Mu Qingxue had already received the new script and was waiting for him.

Cui Jiancheng handed him the script as well: Take a look? It’s quite simple.

Only one additional scene had been added.

Mu Qingxue supports the injured Chen Shu as they make their way through the forest. After walking a short distance, Mu Qingxue trips over something, instinctively letting go. With nothing to support himself, Chen Shu falls to the ground first. Unable to catch him, Mu Qingxue falls on top of him.

Cui Jiancheng said, A classic, cliché falling kiss scene. Pretty straightforward, right?

Chen Shu said, Let’s begin.

The sky was at dusk.

The fading glow of sunset spread through the forest, with autumn-yellow leaves covering the ground – the scenery was perfect.

Props department staff stood on tree branches holding leaves, ready to throw them over the two actors once filming began to create the aesthetic of falling leaves.

After Cui Jiancheng explained the movements and positioning for the shot while standing beside the two actors, he returned behind the monitor. Once they had practiced once, he signaled to start filming.

As usual, it was perfect in one take.

Afterwards, they applied some fake blood to the corners of both actors’ mouths, shot two additional angles, and that concluded the scene. They then continued with the scheduled filming.

He Qiyu had been accompanying them on set the entire time.

Since being assigned to the new department established specifically for Chen Shu, she had become his exclusive agent. With only one artist under her management, she had little to do each day anyway.

While Chen Shu was filming, she worked on the sidelines, scouting opportunities for him.

With 《Moon in the Mirror》 nearing completion, she had received numerous invitations, many of which met Chen Shu’s standards.

The success of 《Here For You》 alone was enough for variety shows to recognize Chen Shu’s value.

Even long-established celebrities might not generate as much buzz as Chen Shu. His first variety show appearance after leaving 《Here For You》 was something both fans and general audiences were interested in.

Yet precisely because of this, she believed even more that Chen Shu shouldn’t make hasty decisions at this time.

The impulsive decision to invest in a movie, then taking on variety shows during what should be the movie preparation period – while it might bring temporary benefits, it could cost him a brighter, more long-term future.

Unfortunately, Chen Shu wouldn’t listen to her.

He Qiyu sighed and continued replying to messages on her phone.

Even if she didn’t agree with Chen Shu’s stubbornness, she still had to do her job.

But halfway through replying, she suddenly saw a banner notification pop up on her screen.

Chen Shu and Mu Qingxue’s intimate kiss on set exposed!

He Qiyu abruptly sat up straight.

No way!

Was his girlfriend Mu Qingxue?

This thought lingered in He Qiyu’s mind.

This would explain why, despite the clingy spirit and Chen Shu always staying at the hotel, she had never seen her.

Because Mu Qingxue was also in the crew.

If she and Chen Shu were secretly carrying on an affair, it would be like hiding in plain sight—the hotel would be their natural cover.

But after careful thought, she quickly dismissed the idea.

During filming, she had been on set the entire time, and Chen Shu and Mu Qingxue had no chemistry outside of their roles.

Given the clingy spirit’s personality, could she really remain so calm and composed on set?

Impossible!

Moreover, Chen Shu had been in a relationship before transitioning into acting, while he only met Mu Qingxue after joining Moon in the Mirror—the timing simply didn’t match up.

Chen Shu hadn’t hidden his relationship from her, so there was no reason for him to go to such great lengths to conceal who he was dating.

He Qiyu clicked on the link as she pondered.

Seeing the so-called exposed photos, she suppressed an eye-roll.

The pictures did show Chen Shu and Mu Qingxue, but it was merely a scene of them practicing a faked shot during filming.

However, with the crew busy around them, it did look misleading.

The post exposing the photos had already climbed the trending search and was being eagerly discussed by netizens.

Just then, Chen Shu finished his scene, changed back into his clothes, and emerged from the dressing room.

He Qiyu stood up, phone in hand, and walked over to him.

Chen Shu, I need to talk to you.

Chen Shu was on a call and raised a finger slightly to stop her. You’re here to pick me up?

He Qiyu: …

How could it be so soon?

The clingy spirit’s sources were far too well-informed!

She was clearly a girl with too much time on her hands, her world empty except for Chen Shu.

Alright. Chen Shu continued walking out. I’ll be there soon.

He Qiyu had expected he wouldn’t refuse the clingy spirit’s request.

But she was a little worried.

Chen Shu had just been caught in a trending search due to unauthorized photos.

Fortunately, it was fake—if a real one had been exposed, it would have been troublesome.

Besides, the clingy spirit seemed increasingly dissatisfied with staying quietly in Chen Shu’s shadow and had started making her presence known.

First by leaving a mark on Chen Shu’s lips, and now coming to the set to pick him up in person.

If this continued, it was only a matter of time before they were caught on camera.

After Chen Shu hung up, He Qiyu glanced around and said to him, Chen Shu, I’d like to discuss the cling—uh, your girlfriend.

Chen Shu said, Hmm?

He Qiyu replied, I know you two are close, and I don’t oppose your relationship. But now isn’t the right time to go public. Could you talk to her and ask her to keep a lower profile, at least for now?

Chen Shu was transitioning into acting, and Moon in the Mirror was his first project. Only after it aired would he have a solid role to rely on. Even without fan support, he could maintain his reputation.

Unlike now, where he only had his past success as a singer, and public perception hadn’t yet shifted away from the negative stereotype of an idol turning actor.

Chen Shu had immense talent and a broad future ahead. She didn’t want the slightest misstep at this critical starting point.

Chen Shu?

Receiving no response, He Qiyu turned to look and found him replying to messages on his phone—he probably hadn’t heard a word she said.

He Qiyu’s face stiffened. If you don’t want to talk to her, I can do it. Give me her contact info, and I’ll arrange a meeting. I’ll make sure she understands your situation.

Chen Shu only said, We’ll see.

… He Qiyu could tell he was brushing her off. Despite her efforts to persuade him along the way, she hadn’t managed to sway him.

As they reached the roadside, a car pulled up in front of Chen Shu.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed it, turned, straightened up, and put on a stern expression.

Since she was going to run into the clingy spirit today, she had to—

The car window rolled down.

He Qiyu bowed at a ninety-degree angle, not daring to let the newcomer look up at her. Director Yan!

Hmm. Yan Jingchuan glanced past her and looked at Chen Shu. Get in the car.

He Qiyu’s expression stiffened.

What’s going on? Why is Director Yan the one who came?

She looked at Chen Shu.

Chen Shu said, Let’s go together.

He Qiyu instinctively looked at Yan Jingchuan again.

Yan Jingchuan had already rolled up the car window, neither approving nor disapproving.

Only then did He Qiyu timidly get into the car with Chen Shu.

As soon as the car door closed, she was filled with overwhelming regret.

The atmosphere in the car made her scalp tingle and her heartbeat slow. She had no other desires except to jump out of the vehicle.

Chen Shu asked, Why did you suddenly decide to pick me up?

Yan Jingchuan looked out the window at the reflection of the figure in the glass but didn’t turn around. I happened to be passing by.

Chen Shu understood and then picked up the script in his hand to read.

Yan Jingchuan tightened his grip on his cane and didn’t speak again.

… He Qiyu painfully shrank into the corner, unsure whether she should speak up to ease the stagnant air.

Chen Shu remembered something and asked her, What did you want to tell me earlier?

He Qiyu then recalled Chen Shu and Mu Qingxue’s embrace and kiss.

But that matter wasn’t urgent yet.

Now that Director Yan was also here, and since Director Yan and Chen Shu were friends, there was something more important than that.

Since Chen Shu had asked, she took the opportunity to say, I wanted to discuss investing in a movie with you again.

Zhang Shi also quickly turned around, trying to end the suffocating atmosphere. Mr. Chen wants to invest in a movie?

Yes. He Qiyu noticed that Yan Jingchuan had slightly turned his face, as if listening, so she carefully weighed her words and spoke cautiously. But we don’t have enough funds right now, and investing in movies carries significant risks. I don’t think it’s the right time yet.

Director Yan will probably help persuade Chen Shu to think twice, she thought.

The very next second.

She heard Director Yan’s voice reach her ears.

How much are you short?

He Qiyu: …?

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