Unexpected Tenderness

"Excellent! Cut!" Director Liu immediately stood up, applauding enthusiastically. "Worthy of Best Actress Ye—your acting is flawless. Xiao Lin, go rest immediately."

Jing Jing hurried forward with an ice pack, pressing it against the right side of Lin Ruijiao's face. A vivid red handprint was clearly visible, already beginning to swell. President Ye had certainly not held back!

Only Ye Ruihuan and another young starlet remained on set for their scene, but within moments, the director called for another take. Despite having relatively few lines, Ye Ruihuan's performance required multiple retakes before passing. The director didn't call her out directly, but his pointed stare spoke volumes.

Ye Ruihuan touched her nose self-consciously, her gaze drifting toward Lin Ruijiao's direction. It must hurt terribly. Unconscious worry flickered in her eyes. Knowing she hadn't found her rhythm, she immediately sought out Lin Ruijiao during the break.

Assistant Li thoughtfully moved a lounge chair beside Lin Ruijiao's resting area.

Ye Ruihuan settled into the chair with apparent nonchalance as Xiao Li immediately handed her water.

"Are you alright?" she asked casually, glancing toward Lin Ruijiao.

"I'm fine," Lin Ruijiao replied, covering half her face while managing a strained smile. She still wore the heavy costume robes.

It was just a stage slap—nothing more. She'd endured far worse in the past. Lin Ruijiao refused to appear petty; getting upset over a scripted slap would be unprofessional.

Looking up, she noticed glitter from the costume had stuck to Ye Ruihuan's face. She reached out instinctively. "You have something—" Her fingers brushed against Ye Ruihuan's cheek, removing the sparkle.

"Thank you." Ye Ruihuan's lips curved into a genuine smile.

Nearby starlets whispered among themselves: "See that? She only got cast because she knows how to cozy up to the right people..."

Lin Ruijiao had no more scenes scheduled, while Ye Ruihuan still had several—including her character's most pivotal moments. Despite her complicated feelings toward Ye Ruihuan, Lin Ruijiao couldn't resist watching these legendary scenes unfold.

Meanwhile, fans had been secretly filming the entire time, capturing what appeared to be "Lin Ruijiao slapping Best Actress Ye in return."

In the leaked photos, Ye Ruihuan wore an expression of shock and disbelief while Lin Ruijiao's hand appeared to strike her face squarely. From this angle, it looked exactly like Lin Ruijiao had hit her.

That evening, the photos dominated social media trending topics. The hashtag #Newcomer Lin Ruijiao Slaps Ye Ruihuan Back# climbed rapidly.

[Holy shit, what kind of backing does Lin Ruijiao have? She dares to mess with Ye Ruihuan? Is this real?]

[Damn, that's YE RUIHUAN! And they're from the same company!]

[No way our President Ye would tolerate this kind of treatment!]

[Help me, are we allowed to witness this? Ye Ruihuan is literally the CEO of Huarui Entertainment!!!]

[I've always disliked Ye Ruihuan for bullying newcomers... Good for this rookie! Finally someone stood up for my goddess!]

[Remember the rumors about internal conflicts at Huarui Entertainment? Could our Sister Ye's position be in jeopardy?! My eternal goddess Ye!!!]

[Team Newcomer!! What's so special about Ye Ruihuan anyway? Just because she's made a few movies doesn't give her the right to act superior.]

[Love seeing this drama unfold! More please! Honestly, this Lin Ruijiao is incredibly brave!]

Jing Jing showed Lin Ruijiao some of the comments, but she remained completely unfazed after scrolling through several posts. How remarkable—the victim had become the perpetrator. The smear campaign had begun surprisingly quickly.

"Don't worry about it," Lin Ruijiao said dismissively, continuing to ice her face while studying her script. Since this situation didn't only affect her, she needn't handle it alone.

Ye Ruihuan naturally saw the trending topics as well, reading each comment carefully. Was her public image really this poor? Being slandered like this while so many people attacked her...

Surprisingly, many praised Lin Ruijiao instead. Had this little rabbit made enemies already? The opposition's marketing response was impressively swift.

She'd wait for the little rabbit to come begging for help... Ye Ruihuan saved the pinned photo, studying her own expression. Had she really looked like that? Lin Ruijiao's palm had been so soft—she couldn't help remembering that delicate touch, those fingers pale and slender as jade.

Such fair hands, yet her complexion was slightly darker by comparison.

Recalling the force of today's slap, her smile vanished entirely. She'd never been so cautious during previous productions—why had she developed such tender feelings now? She'd definitely lost control of her strength today, striking out impulsively. The little rabbit's face...

"Xiao Li, do you have any medication?" she asked, holding her wine glass.

"For Miss Lin? Yes, I do."

"Good, take it to her." As soon as the words left her mouth, Ye Ruihuan changed her mind. "Actually, ask her to come up instead."

After a while, Assistant Li returned alone. "Miss Lin said she's not feeling well and won't be coming up." She watched Ye Ruihuan's expression nervously.

"..." Ye Ruihuan swirled her wine glass and drained it completely. "I'll go to her then."

Moments later, Ye Ruihuan arrived at Lin Ruijiao's room.

Hearing the voice outside, Lin Ruijiao's throat constricted, her eyes darkening. "Jing Jing, stay here," she instructed.

Opening the door, she immediately transformed her expression. "Ruihuan, what brings you here?"

Jing Jing thought to herself: Sister Lin's face-changing skills guarantee her a Sanhua Award!

"Medicine." Ye Ruihuan handed over the ointment with casual indifference.

"Thank you so much, Ruihuan." Lin Ruijiao smiled sweetly.

"Does it still hurt?" Ye Ruihuan sat down beside her uninvited, glancing sideways at Jing Jing.

"A little," Lin Ruijiao replied with a forced smile, maintaining her innocent expression.

"Let me see." Ye Ruihuan reached out, placing her hand over Lin Ruijiao's ice pack.

Lin Ruijiao startled at the contact, losing her grip on the ice pack, which tumbled to the floor. Their hands separated immediately.

Ye Ruihuan pressed her lips together, studying the obvious red handprint on Lin Ruijiao's face. Emotions rippled through her eyes—guilt and regret beginning to surface.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Ye Ruihuan's tone turned cold.

"Say what?" Lin Ruijiao bent to retrieve the ice pack, confused. Had something been discovered?

"Your face is seriously injured. Get ready—we're going to the hospital." Ye Ruihuan frowned, grasping her arm.

"It's nothing. Some ice will fix it," Lin Ruijiao smiled reassuringly. "Don't make such a big deal of it."

But Ye Ruihuan remained intensely serious.

"Really, it's unnecessary! One night of icing and I'll be fine!" Lin Ruijiao looked up with a smile, tugging at Ye Ruihuan's sleeve.

This was impossible—she was actually seeing worry and anxiety in Ye Ruihuan's expression.

"Then apply the medicine immediately." Ye Ruihuan quickly retrieved the ointment she'd brought. "Xiao Li provided this—it should be very effective." She raised her hand, preparing to apply it herself.

"That's not necessary. Jing Jing can do it," Lin Ruijiao turned her head away, beckoning to her assistant.

Ye Ruihuan froze.