Wimpy Movie Queen Is Divorcing Me Again

Chapter 8: Casting/Hinting

In addition to Lu Xici, "Transform Her" also has two female main supporting roles and one male main supporting role.

Of course, the Lu family invested in their daughter's movie as always. As an investor, Lu Xici followed Cheng Yi and the assistant director she found to watch the actors' auditions.

The mother of the protagonist Mingxi is played by a veteran actress who is a friend of Cheng Yi.

While Mingxi's mentor and superior will be played by a promising new star in the film and television industry. However, the leader on the side of the "transformed individuals" is still undecided.

Jiang Minglu said she wanted a badass woman who disregarded regulations and morals and was crazy and smart, and Cheng Yi also felt that this casting image needed to be very unique.

After listening to their description, Lu Xici had a candidate in her heart.

Lin Ni, her first friend in the industry, is her senior and is also both her mentor and friend.

Lin Ni is a representative of the thick-faced faction, with highly malleable features that can be transformed into a different face with slight modifications. Therefore, she often portrays roles that are both righteous and wicked.

It's just that Lin Ni's status is much higher than Lu Xici's.

To have her play a supporting role, even though it's the second-largest role in the whole drama, Lu Xici still felt somewhat uneasy.

She tried contacting Lin Ni, who readily agreed.

When she had the time, Lin Ni came for the audition without requiring makeup. After slightly getting into character and standing in the room, Cheng Yi knew she had found the right person. Jiang Minglu was also excited, biting a pencil, and said she would go back and see if there were any changes to be made.

"You don't have a schedule?" Lu Xici was somewhat surprised.

She remembered that her friend was a very busy person, and even inviting her for a meal required queuing.

"I just happened to have some free time," Lin Ni adjusted the sunglasses in her hand and handed them to her assistant.

"Besides, it's your invitation Xiao Lu, how can I refuse?"

She winked at Lu Xici. Lu Xici responded with a delighted yet distant smile.

In addition to this, Lu Xici also needed to film endorsement advertisements and socialize with investors, attend meetings, and promote the upcoming New Year's film "Bridesmaid."

She was so busy that she was dizzy, and even though she and Jun Youyue were under the same roof, they were each busy on their own, silent and preoccupied.

Without her knowing, she and Jun Youyue basically kept it simple once every three days and exhaustive once a week.

There was no other reason except that during social gatherings, alcohol was often involved, and no one dared to make Lu Xici drink, but she insisted on doing so herself.

Thus, the frequency of Lu Xici's social engagements determined the frequency of these encounters.

* * *

The most important festival of the year for Chinese people is approaching.

No matter how important the work was, Lu Xici pushed it to after the third day of the Lunar New Year*.

*also known as Spring Festival, a 15-day celebration that starts depending on the first new moon between Jan 21- Feb. 20

Taking advantage of her rare vacation, she lay down at home and unexpectedly saw a figure at the door.

Jun Youyue also took a day and a half off for the Spring Festival.

From New Year's Eve to New Year's Day, she would go back to the Lu Family's house with Lu Xici no matter what the reason.

Lu Xici forgot about this and slapped her forehead.

It's not that she really forgot Jun Youyue, but she deliberately avoided thinking of her.

Looking at her face now, she realized that she hadn't looked at this person properly for over two months.

Jun Youyue put away her umbrella, loosened the scarf around her neck, and placed it in the basket by the door.

It was nearing dusk outside and from  Lu Xici's perspective, she could see fine snowflakes glistening, concealing the light. Hiding behind Jun Youyue, it illuminated her silhouette.

The sky was murky gray, with no hint of color, just a dull gray-white.

And Jun Youyue, dressed in a red robe, became the eye-catching splash of color in the world.

Her figure was outlined by the faint light, the edges softening to the point of blending with the background. Her movements of bending and leaning carried a unique charm.

Her expression was hidden beneath her eyelashes, long and slightly curled. The rain-like curtain brushed against her amber pupils, her lips pursed, giving her an unexpectedly gentle smile.

The iceberg seemed to melt away in the ice and snow.

It's hard to tell whether the scenery complimented the person or the person made the scenery beautiful. Lu Xici felt her eyes dry and sore; perhaps it was because a beauty stood before her that she forgot to blink.

Even though they haven't seen each other for a long time, Jun Youyue's image is still deeply engraved in Lu Xici's mind. With each look, it sunk an inch deeper, stirring her heart.

But this woman is unaware of her own beauty. 

After tidying up her belongings, she walked over and saw her wife looking at her in a daze.

Remembering the joyful time they shared last night, Lu Xici had also looked at her in a similar unblinking manner, as if wanting to suck her soul, showing intense and devoted affection.

Jun Youyue felt shy and turned her head away from her gaze, and sat down beside Lu Xici.

Thinking about this distance, Jun Youyue wondered why Lu Xici didn't come to hug her. They had a great time last night, and if Lu Xici wanted to kiss her, she could reciprocate.

But Lu Xici moved half a meter to the other side.

Their distance widened to the point of being strangers, bursting the bubble of ambiguity.

Jun Youyue was a little puzzled. She glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and realized that Lu Xici was still looking at her, making her even more puzzled.

Lu Xici saw the suspicious red mark on her neck.

The mark is not deep, it may be a mosquito bite, it may be scratched by a fingernail, and of course, it may be... a hickey.

Could it be that Jun Youyue really has a dog outside? Is it Tao Sheng?

Emotionally, Lu Xici is skeptical, but reason tells her it's not impossible.

Her heart was beating so fast that her chest was about to jump out.

It's impossible to ask, so she stands frozen in place, her gaze intense, as if wanting to burn a hole in Jun Youyue's neck.

Jun Youyue felt very uncomfortable.

She stretched out her hand and scratched the itchy part of her neck, leaving several similar red marks.

It must have been scratched by fingernails.

Lu Xici was eager to grab at any straw that proved her guess is wrong, thus overlooking more signs that something is amiss.

She breathed a sigh of relief and stopped staring at Jun Youyue.

Now it's Jun Youyue's turn to gaze at her.

Lu Xici feels like shrinking her neck; was her impolite behavior just now going to anger Jun Youyue?

Although she has never seen an angry iceberg, she always imagines it looking like an erupting volcano.

She used her acting skills to force herself to calm down, tilted her head, and met Jun Youyue's gaze.

She saw a trace of resentment in Jun Youyue's eyes and the frowning.

Lu Xici's eyebrows jumped.

"What's wrong?" Thanks to her ability to pretend, she can still ask Jun Youyue calmly at this moment.

Really no hugs? Jun Youyue's resentment deepened.

She held back for a long time, and then said: "Aren't we leaving?"

"Cough. Yes. Let's go." Lu Xici sighed in her heart.

She could feel that Jun Youyue seemed a little upset, but she didn't want to think about the reasons for her displeasure, fearing that she would overthink but at the same time, fearing she would underthink.

* * *

The Lu family is a small family, only Lu Tingyi and Lu Xici, plus their cat, Zhenzhu* at most.

*Pearl 

The Jun family originally had three generations of grandparents and grandchildren, more than a dozen, but most of them had faced unexpected situations.

Now the only one who still has contact with Jun Youyue is her own sister Jun Youning.

On the way to the Lu's house, Jun Youyue received a call from her sister.

Lu Xici sat next to her, listening to her humming in reply from time to time, the corners of her mouth curled up.

Even with her own sister, Jun Youyue also had this indifferent attitude.

It's unclear how she developed this behavior; it's as if she's never really listened to Jun Youyue speaking since childhood.

Lu Xici entered the house empty-handed, waiting to receive a red envelope* from her mother.

*红包 (hongbao); Chinese traditional gift often presented during holidays and special occasions, such as Chinese New Year, weddings, and birthdays. It typically contains money and symbolizes good luck, prosperity, and blessings for the recipient. The red color of the envelope is considered auspicious and is believed to ward off evil spirits.

On the other hand, Jun Youyue had brought a health supplement for her mother-in-law.

The packaging was simple, but it was from a research institute with guaranteed efficacy.

The two entered the house, and the family's helpers came to receive Jun Youyue's gift.

Zhenzhu jumped off its cat climbing frame with a 'thud', twisted its buttocks, and ran at its fastest speed to meet the young couple.

To be precise, to meet Jun Youyue.

Lu Xici was once again ignored by the unscrupulous kitten, and she suddenly felt sad, watching the cat's belly-turning posture towards Jun Youyue, she wanted to cry without tears.

Then she knew the reason.

Jun Youyue took out a cat strip from her pocket, and skillfully squeezed it to Zhenzhu.

The kitten licked happily. Lu Xici recalled that every time she saw the cat, Jun Youyue would prepare food for it.

Lu Tingyi came late and saw her daughter staring at her wife playing with the cat.

And Jun Youyue was trying to lift the cat in front of Lu Xici as if she wanted to hand it to her.

As a biological mother, she could of course see that Lu Xici looked a little embarrassed, so she had no choice but to step forward to make a rescue, and also gave Zhenzhu, who was struggling in Jun Youyue's hands, freedom.

"Mom~ red envelope!" Lu Xici naturally moved to her mother's side, escaping the silent scene with Jun Youyue.

Jun Youyue glanced at the two of them and lowered her eyelashes, lost in thought.

The New Year's Eve dinner is carefully prepared by the cook at home.

Taking into account Lu Xici's taste, there are only two dishes of big fish and big meat, and the rest are mainly vegetarian.

The three sat at the dining table to eat the New Year's Eve dinner. Lu Tingyi turned on the TV and broadcasted it until the Spring Festival Gala.

It's not that TV stations didn't approach Lu Xici, but for such an important holiday like New Year's, she didn't need the money and wouldn't accept several times her usual salary.

Jun Youyue wasn't interested in the Spring Festival Gala and focused on eating.

Lu Xici occasionally glanced at the TV, checking to see which of her good friends had become a prominent figure in the Spring Festival Gala.

Lu Tingyi would ask the two children a few questions from time to time, trying to create a happy atmosphere.

But what she was facing was Jun Youyue, a big ice lump who didn't like to talk.

"Xiao Yue, how is your sister doing?"

"Good."

"Is your work in the lab going well?"

"Mm."

"What about you? Still busy every day, too late to go home?"

"Huh…ah? I've been going home."

Although most of the time she went home to do that kind of thing with Lu Xici, she would leave after resting for two or three hours.

Lu Xici looked sideways.

She herself had only slept at home for several weeks and hadn't seen Jun Youyue much.

What did she mean by that sentence?

After Lu Tingyi asked a few more questions, she gave up talking to this chat killer and instead discussed the Spring Festival Gala with Lu Xici.

Jun Youyue sat on the other side of the couch, quickly posting new pictures of Lu Xici on Chaohua to make up for the busy days she had missed.

Tao Sheng had also drawn her into a fan group of Lu Xici before, where they shared materials related to Lu Xici every day, as well as her upcoming itinerary, which made Jun Youyue's career of collecting pictures smoother.

Before New Year's Eve, Lu Tingyi received a call.

After making three phone calls, and trying to make the fourth call persistently, Lu Tingyi finally impatiently picked up the vibrating cell phone and blocked the other party.

"Who is it?" Lu Xici posted it curiously.

No matter how calm she is, she is only twenty-three years old, so she naturally looks like a child in front of her mother.

"Your grandfather." Lu Tingyi pushed her back to her original position.

Lu Xici didn't answer.

She knew that the relationship between her mother and her family, the Lu family, was not good.

The reason is unknown, she only knows that before she was born, her mother announced in a high-profile way that she would be cutting ties with the Lu family.

At that time, this incident caused a stir in the entire capital, and the young Lu Tingyi was under pressure from various parties, but she insisted on going solo.

No one had high hopes for her back then.

Later, her company grew bigger and bigger, until it was close to Lu's family. It even made them feel the pressure of competition and slapped everyone in the face.

"What about this one? It's ringing again." Lu Xici's sharp eyes saw that her mother's cell phone was still ringing.

Lu Tingyi's expression was unusually complicated.

Lu Xici pondered for a moment and surprisingly sensed a hint of shyness, greatly astonished.

"The fish I've been raising recently." Lu Tingyi buckled the phone and didn't want to say more.

"Oh~" It turned out to be an ambiguous object. It seems that she may have multiple stepmoms or stepdads.

Lu Tingyi had divorced early, almost cutting ties with the "good son-in-law" chosen by the Lu family for her shortly after Lu Xici was born.

Now thinking of this existence that has never appeared in her life, Lu Xici has no thoughts at all.

As long as her mom is happy. Lu Xici made a meaningful joke and was driven away by her mother to Jun Youyue.

Jun Youyue stared at the girl with a smile on her lips from the corner of her eye, and her mood which had been dull all night was finally cleared.

She was about to change to a more comfortable position to snuggle up to the person when Lu Xici moved half a meter away to the side, replaying the scene from their matrimonial home.

Jun Youyue felt a blow and her mood became even less pleasant. She leaned back sulkily, ignoring the occasional glances that Lu Xici cast her way.

Author's Note:

Jun Youyue: I wrote "I want to hug" on my face, did you see it?

Lu Xici staring at Jun Youyue's neck: ??? Do you have a dog outside?