Chapter 14: Wine Aroma

Dedicated to Charm. Thank you for the ko-fi 🫰

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Lu Qingzhuo repeated her words once again, but Fu Yumian seemed a little distracted. Sensing this, Lu Qingzhuo dared not say more and instead assumed the role of an invisible bystander before her.

Fu Yumian was truly dedicated to her work. She never acted like a diva or made things difficult for the crew. On the contrary, she answered any questions directed at her and remained very approachable in private—though she was a woman of few words.

By now, Lu Qingzhuo had come to understand Fu Yumian’s personality. She was like a beautiful, aloof cat with a coat of soft, snow-white fur. Many people were drawn to her, wanting to get close, yet hesitated to reach out, fearing they might get scratched.

Lu Qingzhuo was one of those people—eager to approach yet wary of being clawed. So, she held back her restless curiosity.

"President Fu, we’ve changed the original script. Won’t Director Shen be upset?" Lu Qingzhuo asked worriedly. After all, in the film industry, actors altering scripts on their own was generally frowned upon, as it strayed from the screenwriter’s original intent.

Fu Yumian took a sip of mineral water, glanced at the first draft of the script in Lu Qingzhuo’s hands, and casually flipped through a few pages. "She wrote it. If I want to change it, I’ll change it."

Lu Qingzhuo: "..."

As expected of the most mysterious investor behind Shen Shijun—having money really did grant confidence.

Half an hour later, filming resumed.

The wound on Fu Yumian’s palm no longer hurt as much. It was just a surface scratch, not too deep. Still, to prevent scarring, modern technology would be needed for proper care. After all, she was President Fu—the most valuable person in the entire production crew.

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Su Lan stood at the side, observing the interaction between the two. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Lu Qingzhuo and Fu Yumian were familiar with each other. Moreover, the omega acting alongside Lu Qingzhuo looked rather familiar.

Her every movement exuded elegance and natural nobility — an effortless grace that no celebrity in the industry could truly imitate.

Su Lan patted Xie Yun’s shoulder as she ate her ice cream and whispered, "Do you know this Teacher Fu?"

"Of course! President Fu — I’m a huge fan of hers." Xie Yun licked the tip of her ice cream, her eyes full of admiration. "She’s the president of Fu Group—young and talented. Even this island, where we are is filming, was bought by her."

Su Lan quickly took out her phone and searched for information on Fu Yumian.

Fu Yumian—the youngest heir of Fu Group.

Scrolling to the bottom, Su Lan found a slightly blurry photo but immediately recognized the omega standing before her. No wonder she looked familiar. Years ago, when she was just a teenager, Fu Yumian had starred in a classic film known in every household. However, she had long since left the entertainment industry.

Even after all these years, Su Lan never expected to see her dream goddess in person. She originally had high hopes for her artist, Lu Qingzhuo, but standing next to Fu Yumian, Lu Qingzhuo seemed less remarkable. Perhaps this was the power of an idol.

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"We can proceed with the original script for the next scene. The part that Teacher Fu improvised was excellent," Shen Shijun nodded approvingly. She instinctively raised a hand to pat Lu Qingzhuo on the shoulder for encouragement but suddenly reconsidered and withdrew her hand.

"Xiao Lu’s acting…" Shen Shijun mused. She glanced at Lu Qingzhuo, who seemed a bit nervous, then broke into a smile. "Have you been taking special acting lessons? This performance feels like a completely different level from your previous ones."

"Yes, Director Shen, I’ve been studying how to deeply immerse myself in a role."

Shen Shijun nodded in satisfaction. "That’s a great mindset. But let me warn you—don’t fall too deep into a character, or it’ll be hard to break free."

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The next scene involved Fu Yumian suddenly fainting. Lu Qingzhuo first stood frozen in place, seemingly unable to believe that her words had actually caused the other woman to pass out.

"Bai Yu! What’s wrong? Don’t scare me!"

She had never encountered such a situation before. Her face was full of panic and disbelief as she reached out to nudge the collapsed Fu Yumian.

Bending down, Lu Qingzhuo effortlessly picked up Fu Yumian in a bridal carry, though her arms trembled slightly. Holding her, she staggered outside on shaky legs.

From behind the monitor, Shen Shijun reminded, "Run a bit faster."

Lu Qingzhuo quickened her pace. In that era, there were no ambulances. She carried the unconscious woman to the roadside, shouting, "Hurry! Take me to the hospital!"

That marked the end of the scene. Though Lu Qingzhuo still wanted to continue acting, the sun was setting, signaling the end of her filming schedule for the day. She could now join the other actors for dinner and get to know them better.

But at the very moment when Fu Yumian wrapped her arms around Lu Qingzhuo’s neck and sat up from her lap, Lu Qingzhuo froze completely.

The inside of the prop building was semi-enclosed, filled with a faint aroma of wine mixed with the leather scent of the seats. The smell made Lu Qingzhuo feel lightheaded.

"President Fu…"

She called out softly, her voice slightly hoarse. Just as she was about to shift her slightly numb arms, Fu Yumian braced a hand against her thigh, pushed the car door open, and stepped out.

The lingering traces of red wine scent still floated in the air. Lu Qingzhuo followed her out of the car, but the moment her feet touched the ground, she felt as if she were stepping on a fluffy cloud.

It wasn’t until the stylist came over to fix her hair that Lu Qingzhuo finally snapped out of her daze.

She realized something was off. Every time Fu Yumian got close to her, she struggled to control her pheromones. Even though she had applied the latest pheromone-blocking patch—one so effective that even highly compatible couples had tested it with no leakage—somehow, it wasn’t working.

What was going on? Could it be that her compatibility with Fu Yumian was unusually high, leading to this awkward situation?

If she had noticed it, there was no way Fu Yumian hadn’t.

Could it be intentional? Did Fu Yumian secretly have feelings for her?

No, no, no — impossible!

She was so rich — why would she use such a method to get close to a third-tier celebrity?

If she wanted, Fu Yumian could make Lu Qingzhuo play any role she liked, as long as she was willing to pay.

Fu Yumian glanced at Lu Qingzhuo again, making her so flustered that she reflexively touched the back of her neck — a habit she had whenever she felt embarrassed or guilty.

A faint tea fragrance reached her nose, making her realize that her pheromones had indeed leaked. She quickly asked Xie Yun for the emergency kit she always carried.

"Lu Lu, I think I forgot to bring it," Xie Yun said, looking distressed, on the verge of tears. "What do we do? I remember yours was the newest and most expensive model — there’s no way we’ll find it here."

Lu Qingzhuo shot her an expressionless look. "…You’re such a great assistant."

Xie Yun whimpered and then suggested, "How about this — you ask President Fu for help? She’ll definitely have a way."

Lu Qingzhuo covered the back of her neck and slipped into an empty dressing room, forcing herself to calm down. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, but it barely helped. She could still smell the faint scent of tea.

Shen Shijun was a beta, and most of the staff working under her were betas too. They wouldn’t be able to smell pheromones. But there were still a few alphas and omegas among them.

To avoid affecting others, Lu Qingzhuo had no choice but to hide for now, waiting for the scent to fade.

Filming was done for the day, and the dressing room was mostly empty. Lu Qingzhuo buried her face in her hands in frustration. How had her pheromone-blocking patch failed so suddenly? Could it really have something to do with Fu Yumian?

After all, they had just been in close contact, and she had definitely smelled Fu Yumian’s pheromones too.

As an alpha, Lu Qingzhuo felt like a failure. She couldn't even control her own pheromones.

Lu Qingzhuo: [Assistant Han, my pheromone blocker patch is broken. Do you have any extras?]

After hesitating for a long time, Lu Qingzhuo finally sent a message to Han Tian. There was no way she dared to contact Fu Yumian directly—better to bother Han Tian first and let her take the fall.

A short while later, Lu Qingzhuo's WeChat notification chimed. She assumed it was Han Tian, but to her surprise, the message was from Fu Yumian.

Fu Yumian: [Come back to the hotel.]

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