The Movie Star's Private Little Star

Summer in the film city was hot enough to melt the asphalt road.

Elena Lu wore a heavy three-layer fairy costume, with thick makeup on her face, holding a basket of heavy prop "fairy fruits." She had been waiting in the "Eternal Life" film set for six whole hours.

As a small star without even a single line, her task was to be a background board, or play a motionless corpse.

"Elena, go hide behind that rockery over there. When the male lead comes over later, you're responsible for falling down and playing dead." The assistant director waved his hand carelessly.

Elena nodded and obediently slipped into the shadow of the rockery. Behind the rockery was cool. Although it was a bit damp, for the exhausted Elena, it was simply heaven. She leaned against the stone, originally just wanting to close her eyes and rest for a while, but unexpectedly, once she closed her eyes, her heavy eyelids never lifted again.

In her dream, she returned to the film academy lecture five years ago. The man on the podium, cold as the moon, was speaking softly into the microphone about his understanding of acting. That was the first time she saw Julian Sterling, and from then on, her star path only consisted of chasing his shadow.

"Mmm..."

Elena felt her nose was a bit itchy, as if someone was lightly teasing her with the tip of a grass. She murmured hazily: "Don't mess around, it's not my turn to die yet..."

"It's not your turn yet, so you plan to rehearse in your dream in advance?"

A voice cold as ice shattering on the ground sounded in her ear.

Elena opened her eyes abruptly, and her vision changed from blurred to clear. A face close at hand, enough to make all Asian women scream, appeared in front of her.

Deep eyebrows and eyes, a high nose bridge, and those dark pupils that always revealed a sense of cold detachment.

Julian Sterling.

He was currently half-squatting in front of her, his finger still maintaining the action of poking her cheek, a trace of seemingly non-existent interest in his eyes.

"Mr... Mr. Sterling?!"

Elena was so scared that half of her soul flew away, and her whole person was like being pressed by a spring, "whoosh" and bounced up from the ground.

"Thump!"

"Hiss—"

A dull impact sound sounded. Because Elena got up too fast, her forehead firmly hit Julian's chin.

Julian was hit and took half a step back, reaching out to cover his chin, his brow slightly furrowed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Mr. Sterling, I didn't do it on purpose!" Elena was so anxious that tears were almost coming out. Disregarding any status gap, she hurriedly leaned in, wanting to check his injury, "I'll rub it for you! Is it red? Will it affect the next close-up?"

Her hand was just about to touch that tight jawline when it was grabbed by Julian's wrist.

His palm was warm, the strength moderate, but it made Elena feel the place being held was frighteningly hot.

"Elena Lu?" Julian called out her name, his voice low.

Elena was stunned: "You... you know my name?"

Julian took a deep look at her, that gaze hiding emotions Elena couldn't understand. He let go of her hand, his tone returning to its usual coldness: "Hitting so accurately, are you trying to leave a mark on the Movie Star to find the media for a scoop later?"

"I didn't! I really just slept until I was confused!" Elena's cheeks were flushed with anxiety, like a frightened little deer.

Julian looked at her like this, the corner of his mouth imperceptibly curling into an extremely small arc: "Get ready, the director is calling you. 'Little Zombie'."

After saying that, he turned and walked toward the center of the set, leaving Elena alone behind the rockery, holding the prop basket, her heart beating like a drum.

Although she experienced the awkward collision behind the rockery, Elena Lu found that her luck seemed to have improved a bit.

Originally, the little fairy she played only needed to fall when the male lead Julian Sterling walked by, because of being affected by the demonic energy. But during the afternoon reshoot, the director suddenly changed the scene.

"Elena Lu, you'll not only fall later, but also struggle to grab his sleeve and shout 'Save me' when Mr. Sterling passes by." The director shouted into the megaphone, "Mr. Sterling, do you think adding this scene is okay?"

Julian stood in front of the green screen where light and shadow intertwined, in a white robe as white as snow, his dark hair flying. He glanced faintly at Elena, who was hiding in the corner trying to reduce her presence, and nodded slightly: "Okay."

Elena was flattered. This meant her originally zero-line walk-on role now had a line and a close-up!

"Action!"

Elena took a deep breath and instantly entered the state. The demonic wind swept through, and she fell heavily to the ground, the fruit basket in her hand scattering all over.

When those black cloud-patterned boots appeared in her sight, she tremblingly reached out her hand, her fingertips tightly gripping that piece of cool white silk.

"Sa... save me..."

Her eyes were full of terror and humble craving.

Julian stopped. In the script, he should have directly brushed his sleeves and left, but he looked down at the girl on the ground.

"Cut!" The director jumped up excitedly, "Elena, the emotion is very in place! But Mr. Sterling, you stopped for an extra second just now, your gaze was a bit too... too affectionate? We want a cold and aloof sword immortal, not a chivalrous hero who cherishes women."

The surrounding actors and staff all burst into good-natured laughter.

Julian's expression was as usual, his tone calm: "Her gaze was too miserable, I was carried away by the acting."

The whole place was silent.

What did Movie Star Sterling say? He said he was carried away by the acting of an eighteenth-tier small star? This was simply the biggest cold joke in the entertainment industry this year, or the highest evaluation.

During the break, Elena hid under the shade of a tree to drink water. Julian walked over, and his assistant was about to hand him a parasol, but he pushed it away.

"The action of pulling the sleeve just now was too rigid." Julian walked to her and looked down at her.

Elena quickly put down the water bottle and stood up: "I'm sorry, Mr. Sterling, I'll practice more."

"The fingers should tremble, the palm should be loosely held, you have to act out the despair of wanting to grab but not being able to." As Julian spoke, he actually reached out directly and held Elena's hand.

His fingers were slender, with distinct knuckles, carrying a faint mint scent. He led her hand, demonstrating how to present the best visual effect.

"Do you understand?" He leaned down, his warm breath brushing against the tip of her ear.

Elena only felt her brain was blank, nodding mechanically: "Un... understand."

"Hmm. Also, that 'Save me' line, the voice can be a bit hoarser." Julian let go of her hand, as if nothing had happened, and turned toward the nanny car.

Elena stood there, looking at her fingertips. The place he had just held seemed to still be slightly hot.

In the distance, the female supporting actress Vanessa stared fixedly at this scene, her fingers with bright red nail polish tightly clenching into her palms.

Lunchtime on the film set was the moment Elena Lu looked forward to most.

Although the lunch boxes for walk-on roles usually only had dry potato slices and two pieces of pickles, for someone like Elena who often endured hunger to maintain her figure, it was also a rare energy supplement.

However today, when Elena received her lunch box and opened it, she was stunned.

On top of those shabby vegetables, there actually lay a shiny, fragrant large chicken leg.

"Eh? Was it given wrong?" Elena quickly looked around.

The man responsible for giving out lunch boxes said without looking up: "No, Movie Star Sterling's side had extra food today, and the leftovers were distributed to the crew. You're the last one, lucky you."

The last one? Elena looked at the few extras still in line behind her, the lunch boxes in their hands were all vegetarian.

She was a bit suspicious, but she really couldn't resist the temptation of the chicken leg. Just as she was about to take a bite, a script was heavily slammed beside her lunch box.

"Elena Lu, quite capable, aren't you?" Vanessa came over with several assistants, her eyes full of disdain, "One set of methods after another to hook people, even the lunch box has to be special?"

Elena stood up and smiled politely: "Vanessa, this was given by the logistics brother, I don't know what's going on either."

"Heh, don't know?" Vanessa let out a cold snort and signaled her assistant.

That tall assistant immediately stepped forward and, pretending to bump into her inadvertently, "clattered" and the lunch box in Elena's hand fell to the ground.

The fragrant large chicken leg rolled a few times in the dirt, covered in dust.

"Oh, sorry, my hand slipped." The assistant apologized without any sincerity.

Elena looked at the chicken leg on the ground, a hint of grievance rising in her eyes, but she knew that in a place like a film set, being of low status and having little say, arguing would only make her lose her job.

"It's okay, I'm not hungry." Elena squatted down, preparing to clean up the residue on the ground.

"Since you're not hungry, go and wipe the props to be used this afternoon again." Vanessa commanded arrogantly, "Those are for Mr. Sterling to use. If they're not wiped clean, can you bear the responsibility?"

Elena bit her lip and was about to agree when a cold and sharp voice came from behind.

"Since Miss Vanessa is so concerned about my props, why not do it yourself?"

Julian Sterling stood not far away at some point. He had changed into a black costume, making his whole person look even more sharp and overwhelming.

Vanessa's face stiffened, and she immediately put on a smiling face: "Mr. Sterling, I was just afraid the newcomer would be lazy and get your things dirty."

Julian ignored her and walked straight to Elena.

He looked at the chicken leg on the ground, then looked at Elena's slightly red eye corners, and his gaze instantly cooled down.

"My assistant happened to buy too much afternoon tea." Julian looked at the assistant behind him.

The assistant understood and immediately handed over a beautifully packaged lunch box. Opening it, inside was not only top-tier Wagyu beef but also various exquisite snacks.

"Take it." Julian's tone allowed no refusal.

Elena was stunned: "This... this is too expensive, I can't take it."

"Either eat it, or come back to the car with me to eat." Julian raised his eyebrows, his voice not loud, but enough for the people around to hear clearly.

Vanessa's face instantly turned green.

Elena, under the gaze of countless inquiring and jealous eyes around her, tremblingly took the lunch box.

Julian withdrew his gaze and coldly swept a look at Vanessa: "Miss Vanessa, if you're very free, you can go and memorize the lines for the fourteenth scene. I don't want to hear the director shout NG ten times this afternoon."

After saying that, he turned around and dropped a sentence to Elena: "Come find me to rehearse after you finish eating."

This day, Elena ate the most delicious, and also the most heart-pounding lunch of her life.