Three Days (2)

Song Luli woke sprawled on Long Jie's bed, alone. She could still feel the warmth of the other side of the mattress as well as the heat on her cheek. 

She lifted a hand to her face, feeling the hollowness of his absence. But she decided to rise out of bed, washing up and changing. She got ready for work and headed towards the company. 

Lan Shufen was waiting for her to go to the set, and once they arrived, the director guided him to practice dialogue with the actors. Song Luli decided to approach the director and asked, "Is there anything I can do?" 

The director didn't spare a glance at her as he adjusted the camera, "Nothing. You can watch, sweetheart." 

Song Luli sighed, feeling defeated. She couldn't force him to let her do anything. At least, he didn't ask her to run any errands.

Song Luli then watched the set, but the female lead kept getting one particular scene wrong, though her performance was flawless the day before. 

"Cut!" Yelled the director, "10-minute break."

The actress stepped from the set, stalking towards her chair, frustrated. 

Song Luli could tell by her expression that she felt discontented by her own performance. Song Luli debated whether to approach her or not. She decided to sit on the chair next to her, despite it belonging to one of the other actors on set. 

She pretended to go on her phone when the actress glanced at her and asked, "Miss Song?" 

Song Luli looked at her. "Oh, hello," she said, pretending as if she had not gone there on purpose. 

"Miss Song, what are you doing here?" she asked her, knowing Song Luli was the next successor of Song Entertainment. 

Song Luli responded, "It's Luli, and I'm here to watch."

The actress frowned with disappointment etching on her face. 

"What wrong?" Song Luli asked her. "You seemed as if you couldn't get into the scene, even though you did so well yesterday." 

The actress sighed, "Well, it's a romance scene. Though the film isn't  romance-focused, I'm still having trouble getting into character." 

Song Luli thought about it, "Have you ever been--"

"No," the actress answered quickly. "At least, I don't think I have ever loved someone yet, in that regard." 

The young woman appeared to be about her age, so Song Luli could understand where she was coming from. 

"Do you have a pair of earphones?" Song Luli asked her. The actress nodded; she placed on the earphones and gave Song Luli her phone. Song Luli used the phone to track a playlist. "You know, when I was copyediting the screenplay, I had to listen to music to help me get in the proper headspace for the mood." 

The actress looked at her, stunned as if she hadn't thought of the idea. It's not about searching for personal experiences. After all, acting was pretending; she had to find another alternative to help her perform the scene. 

Song Luli began to think of the time she spent in the study room, completing some of her work. While she typed away at the table, Long Jie would work on the couch, and sometimes he would glance at her, wearing a wickedly handsome smirk. 

The actress began to listen to music, closing her eyes. Song Luli left for a moment when she received a phone call suddenly. Her heart began to hammer against her chest after seeing Long Jie's name. She quickly answered the phone, not saying anything as she felt stunned. 

"Luli?" asked Long Jie. 

"Yes?" she answered softly, walking down the backstage of the set. The crew walked past her, carrying bulky props.

"I called to let you know that I have arrived," he said. 

Song Luli let out a breath of relief over the phone. "When you finish working today, can you update me on everything?" she asked him. 

"Yes," his charming voice projected. "I also want to make sure that you're working and not serving the demands of others." 

Song Luli smiled against her phone screen, though he couldn't see it. "I'm not serving anyone," she said, glancing at the actress. "But, I hope that I am helping more than causing a hindrance." 

She heard Long Jie give out a breathy laugh. "I'll talk to you tonight," he said. 

"All right," she answered with a subtle smile on her face. 

Long Jie hung up the call. 

Song Luli let out a deep breath and returned to the lounging area. She saw the actress return to set, ready for the scene. The young woman's initial withdrawn expression relaxed and calmed. Her face changed modestly, adapting to the mood with the male lead. Her appearance held a throbbing want, the desire to have him. The yearning she held almost convinced Song Luli that it was real. 

When the scene ended, the director was rather happy and impressed by the performance. Song Luli then walked away, feeling content with herself. She wanted to tell Long Jie on the spot about what happened, but she reminded herself that she would speak to him later. 

Song Luli walked down the set to find Lan Shufen, who was stuffing his mouth with food. Song Luli arched a brow as he looked at her guiltily. She laughed as a result. 

"Do I not pay you enough?" Song Luli asked him. 

Lan Shufen swallowed the contents of food down his throat. "Yes," he answered. "But the buffet table appeared to be enticing. I couldn't resist." 

"Let's go," Song Luli told him, heading towards the car. Lan Shufen followed her. 

Song Luli drove to Lan Shufen's apartment complex, wanting to drop him off. On the way, he called her name, "Luli."

"Yes?" she answered him, paying attention to the road. 

"Why don't you take a more significant role in the production?" he asked her genuinely. Song Luli's lips parted open. She figured he wouldn't notice the way they treated her. 

"Those who have been in the industry longer than I are arrogant. They won't take me seriously unless I work hard like everyone else from the beginning. I provide the set, but am I in charge of producing, writing, and directing? Not entirely. I have to earn their respect, which is why I won't pull the CEO card." 

Lan Shufen smiled. "Interesting," he said. 

Song Luli smiled back. "But I won't let them treat me like dirt for long." 

"As you should," Lan Shufen answered. 

At the apartment complex, Song Luli dropped off Lan Shufen and headed home. She went inside, where silence welcomed her. 

She used to be comfortable with the silence when it was just her hobbies comforting her. But there was something eery about Long Jie not being there. It frightened her in some way. 

She locked the door of the house, and afterward, she ate some food before ascending the stairs. She washed up and changed for the night, heading to Long Jie's room to sleep. 

She snuggled into his soft pillows when he called her. They both exchanged reports about their day, and Song Luli didn't realize that she had fallen asleep to the sound of his voice after two hours.