Chapter 77: Taken Advantage Of!

When the crew saw Garen return for more scenes, their reactions were mixed. Some cheered him on, others grumbled about the director’s favoritism, and still others started up another betting pool.

On camera, the two of them first sat at the table, drinking and laughing together. Then they filmed a scene of them standing by the window, nestled in each other's arms, raising their glasses to the moon. In the next shot, Garen and Cao Xiwen changed into different costumes, chatting with a painting in hand. Then came a scene where the two, dressed only in thin undergarments, wrestled playfully on the bed.

Garen followed the script to the letter, pushing aside all distracting thoughts. He frolicked and embraced, but was exceedingly careful, terrified of crossing any lines and being accused of impropriety.

Cao Xiwen, however, was much more uninhibited. Her movements were free and bold, portraying a courtesan to perfection.

Finally, they reached the most crucial part—the kiss.

Garen lay on the bed, holding Cao Xiwen in his arms. With three cameras rolling from different angles and a crowd of people watching, Garen, a novice at this, was so tense he could barely move.

"Why are you shaking?" Cao Xiwen whispered, laughing softly by his ear.

Garen tried to maintain an air of stoic righteousness. "I’m not shaking."

"Look at you, your teeth are chattering! What, are you afraid of me?"

"No!" Garen hesitated, then earnestly said, "I think you’re a very respectable actress."

She chuckled, just as Zhao Xin called out, "Alright, enough talking. Just kiss her! Garen, don’t be shy! Lower your head and get it done!"

"Oh." Garen nodded blankly.

But when the moment came and he looked at Cao Xiwen, he had to admit she was beautiful, and he felt something stirring. Yet, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

For some reason, her earlier disdain for him flashed through his mind. Gritting his teeth, he steeled himself, placed his hand on her cheek the way Zhao Xin had shown him, thumb on her lips, and leaned in.

"Cut!" Zhao Xin suddenly shouted. "Be gentler! Again!"

They tried once more. With the previous experience, Garen focused hard, forcing all thoughts from his mind and trying to lose himself in the role.

But that was easier said than done. Before his lips even touched hers, he broke character and started laughing. Another retake.

Those who had placed bets earlier were delighted.

"He's doomed. If it doesn’t take ten or more tries, I’ll be surprised!"

"Kissing scenes aren’t as simple as you think. You might think you’re getting lucky, but it’s actually the hardest!"

"Exactly! Take Zhao Wen, the Golden Ant Award-winning actress—she’s a huge star, but last time it took more than ten takes for a kiss scene! The male lead’s girlfriend even lost her temper on set!"

"Garen’s really in for it…"

Their chatter reached Garen’s ears, completely disrupting his focus. The more he tried to clear his mind, the more chaotic his thoughts became.

"Don’t worry, just pretend I’m your girlfriend," Cao Xiwen encouraged him.

He nodded, trying to picture Chen Yingying’s face. But the more he tried, the deeper his guilt grew as he remembered what he was doing.

"Cut! Why aren’t you kissing her?" Zhao Xin finally lost patience. Garen had been staring at Cao Xiwen for nearly ten minutes, frozen like a block of wood.

"Director Zhao, maybe… maybe we should just skip this scene?" Garen said miserably. "I really don’t know what to do."

Zhao Xin sighed, shaking his head. "Lighting and cameras stay. Everyone else, clear the room!"

Everyone exchanged glances but obeyed. Most understood that Garen’s struggle wasn’t about shyness, but about a psychological barrier that wouldn’t go away no matter who was present.

Soon, only two cameramen remained, plus the lighting tech, the two actors, and the director—just six people in total.

"Can you kiss her now?" Zhao Xin yawned. "I’m getting sleepy. You two, hurry up!"

…

After who knows how many takes, just as Garen was about to place his hand on Cao Xiwen’s cheek, she suddenly pushed him away.

"Your sweaty hands are messing up my makeup. Stop faking it—just kiss me for real!"

"What?" Garen looked at her in disbelief. "Is that… okay?"

"It’s fine! Try it!"

"Alright." Garen’s heart pounded as he slowly leaned in, cautious at every step.

And then… a rush of damp warmth.

This was the first time Garen had ever tasted another woman’s lips besides Chen Yingying’s. Moreover, this was an older woman. It was a strange sensation—not the electric nervousness he’d expected, but a prickling awareness of being watched.

Their lips met, and, as in a real kiss, their mouths began to move.

Suddenly, Garen felt something pressing against his teeth. He realized it was Cao Xiwen’s tongue.

Damn! This woman’s taking advantage of me!

But before he could react, her tongue slipped past his teeth and began to explore.

No, this isn’t right!

He tried to pull away, but Cao Xiwen pressed her hand firmly against the back of his head and leaned back.

The scene didn’t require them to strip or do anything too explicit. They simply lay down together, drew the bed curtains, and implied intimacy.

"Cut! That’s a wrap!"

At Zhao Xin’s call, Garen shot up reflexively. He glanced at Cao Xiwen, breathless and still licking her lips as if savoring the moment, and was filled with a rush of irritation.

Zhao Xin applauded as he walked over. "Excellent! That was just right!"

Garen forced a smile. "Um, it’s really hot—I’ll go change."

He was drenched in sweat, the heat from the weather and the intense lights, combined with the tension of the scene, had soaked him through.

"Alright! That’s it for tonight. I’ll have someone wake you early tomorrow for the next scene," Zhao Xin said.

Garen nodded, sneaking a glance at Cao Xiwen, who was looking at him with a half-smile. He quickly lowered his head and hurried out of the room.

The crew had arranged a room for Garen on the third floor of the Flower Pavilion.

He went upstairs and found Mike already asleep on the other bed. Without another thought, Garen stripped off his clothes, threw himself onto his bed, pulled the blanket over his head, and tried to sleep.

At first, his mind was restless, replaying the scene again and again, but the more he thought about it, the more the sensation of the kiss faded, until he couldn’t recall what it felt like at all.

Perhaps that was for the best. Time to sleep.

The next morning, Garen was woken early. Looking outside, the sky was still black and the sun had yet to rise. Checking his watch, he saw it wasn’t even five o’clock.

"Hurry and get dressed, we need to shoot the last scene now!" Zhao Xin stood by the bed, urging him on. Garen stretched, rolled around for a while, and finally dragged himself out of bed, reluctant but resigned.