A/N: Thanks for R&R! Here's episode two! These few chapters is inspired by a YT vid I found based on Extravagant Challenge ^^ Another side note, I'm hinting those key words Lian/Ren said when he was asked what type of girl he's interested in (I started that in part 2) ^^
Character: Gong Xi/Kyoko, Qin/Moko, Ren/Lian, Sho/Shang, Director Shen/Director Sawara, Qi Shu Fang/Amamiya, Yangyang/Sho's manager, Mr. Du/Yashiro, Fei Lihua/Erika, Mei Shen/Mimori, Qing Yuan/Natsu, Wei Xu/Mio, Luo Li/Lory, Zhou Mi/Reino
Places: Taidong/Kyoto, Taipei/Tokyo, Taiwan/Japan
Wan Lixue character: Gong Xi/Mulan, Lian/Jun Cheng, Fei Li Hua/Li Mei, Shu Fang/Ling, Shang/Yi Chen, Qin/Zhi Feng
Extravagant Challenge: Season 2
Previously: The members of the Love Me section are chosen to star in a collaborated movie with Dun He Lian, Bu Po Shang, and Fei Li Hua. Lian's role is the person who is arranged to be married to Gong Xi's character. Because of this, Lian is struggling to his past and his true feelings. Shang's jealousy grows every time he sees Gong Xi with his enemy and kept on getting NGed.
Part 1: The cast of Wan Lixue is at the press conference. Someone asks Bu Po Shang if him and Gong Xi are really childhood sweethearts.
Part 2: Shang just couldn't get the romance scenes right! He feels guilty after trying to hurt her when he became more jealous of seeing her with Lian.
~"Ai shi du xiu solo" Love is a solo show~ Ai shi Solo S.O.L.O!
Episode 2: Round two, Stage Two, Part 3
Gong Xi hummed to herself as she stirred the rice porridge, careful not to have it burn like last time. But, like always, she was stuck in thought. So she turned the heat on low before she gets distracted.
Why would Shang be mad at me for making Lian lunch? Sure, I used to make for him but was he ever thankful? No! He was also upset that I said that we never was childhood sweethearts. It's true, isn't it? Who told that reporter that rumor, that lie? Shang didn't even answer me when I asked him if he told anyone that we were sweethearts. Even if he was upset for something, I never thought he would grab me that harshly and shake me like I was losing my mind. He was probably the one losing his mind. I'm so glad that Lian stepped in. If he hadn't, I don't know what would happen. "Let's go, Xiao Xi," he said. He called me Xiao Xi again. He isn't sick again, is he? He looked healthy to me. He hasn't coughed or sneeze or put milk in his tea.
"Gong Xi," Lian spoke from behind her. Gong Xi jumped and spin around. She quickly bowed in apology.
"Sorry, Mr. Lian," she said, "I was... thinking about something." She glanced down at the pot. "The rice porridge isn't burnt this time!"
Lian smiled. "I appreciate that you're doing this for me. You're very considerate."
"Thank you. It's no problem, anyways. I'm just concerned for your health." Gong Xi placed the plates of food in front of him and a bowl of rice porridge in the middle. "Oh, and thank you for stepping in when Shang was..." She drifted off, looking down.
"Your welcome," Lian said, noting her hesitation. "I was going to check up on you anyways. Are you okay now?" He said it so calmly, Gong Xi wouldn't even know that he was furious that someone would try to hurt her, especially by the person who caused her pain the most, the one who broke her. Lian was there to help her heal, that, he was thankful for.
Gong Xi nodded. "I'm fine now."
Lian gave her a warm smile to try and ease her. "Good. why don't you sit and eat with me?" Gong Xi relaxed, taking the seat across from him.
Shang paced around in his apartment with a magazine in his hand. The front cover was a picture of the Wan Lixue cast during the press conference. He stared at the smiling Gong Xi that was sitting next to Dun He Lian. It had been a long time since Shang saw her smile like that. She used to smile for him when he's upset and tried his best to cheer him up. Their old classmates would think that Gong Xi clinged to him like a leech but the truth was Bu Po Shang clinged to her like she was his safety blanket. She had no friends because he would only talk to and hang out with her. But did he ever cared about all the pain she went through? Not really. When she cried, he could only watch. That Gong Xi sitting next to his enemy looked like she hadn't cried for a long time. Like she was better off without him.
Bu Po Shang threw the magazine on the coffee table and flopped onto the couch, turning on the TV. He surfed around and then suddenly stopped on one channel. It was an entertainment show with a segment that talks about rising stars in the business. Just his luck, Gong Xi's picture showed.
"Ah, the popular topic of the month. Gong Xi, an actress from LME," one of the hosts said. "Her first appearance was in a commercial. Then she played the role of Wei Xu in the remake of Ahn Yue called Dark Moon -alongside one of Taiwan's top star, Dun He Lian- and I say that she did a perfect job, giving viewers the chills that run up their spine, making them feel that fire of hate and jealousy. She was also starred in the popular singer, Bu Po Shang's promotion video for his new hit, Prisoner. Gong Xi played as an angel that kills the demon and then becomes a demon herself. Now that is an interesting concept. She played the role of a graceful angel to a demon geat as well. The moving part was when she cried, knowing her friend would hate her if she killed her lover."
"That's right. You can barely tell that Wei Xu and the angel are portrayed by the same person," the other host added. "She has her own drama now, doesn't she? Box R is the name. Gong Xi plays the role of Qing Yuan who bullies the protagonist. Now when people hear the Gong Xi will be playing a bully, they expect her to act like Wei Xu before they even watch the show. Well, I watched Dark Moon and Box R and, like I said, you can barely tell that Wei Xu and Qing Yuan are portrayed by the same person."
The third host nodded. "Now that Box R finished their first season, Gong Xi, along with her co-star of Box R, Shu Fang, and her co-star of the famous commercial by the Black Dragon, Nan Qin, are starred in a movie called Wan Lixue. Dun He Lian and Bu Po Shang are also starred in it."
"It's great to work alongside people you're familiar with," the first host commented. The others agreed.
"I think that Gong Xi and Dun He Lian are very familiar with each other, starring in two films together and are in the same company. Nan Qin is also in the same company but I think everyone knows that her and Gong Xi are friends. I think everyone is mostly interested in Gong Xi and Dun He Lian," the second host said excitedly. She giggled at the new gossip that's arising. They showed a picture that was taken from the press conference but everyone was cut out except the said couple
Shang scoffed, instantly turning off the TV and threw the remote on the coffee table, too.
The next day, everyone was at the set like usual. Gong Xi, Qin, Shu Fang, and Fei Li Hua, was in the girl's changing and make-up tent together. Fei Li Hua sat on a chair, fanning herself, her legs crossed. They were already in their outfits -their school uniforms- but the make-up artist hadn't shown up yet.
"What is taking them so long?" Li Hua whined.
"I'm sorry. My apologies, ladies, my car got stuck along the way," the make-up artist said, bowing four times and walked towards them with haste.
"It's alright," Gong Xi said. "We had just finishing dressing up, anyways. I'm just happy you're here." To turn me into Cinderella, Gong Xi added in her mind.
"Oh, thank you, Miss Gigi," the artist said with another bow. "You are much too kind." Gong Xi smiled, taking a seat next to Qin and Shu Fang.
Dun He Lian and Bu Po Shang waited with their managers under the main tent, sitting at the opposite side of each other. Shang had his legs kicked up on the table like always, lazily flipping through a magazine. Lian sat straight, scanning over his lines in thr script.
"So, Lian...," Mr. Du spoke slyly. "How was dinner?"
Lian shook his head and gave a light chuckle. "It was fine, actually," Lian replied.
"Really? Was the food good? Is a certain someone bringing you lunch?" Mr. Du teased. Lian gave him a look which he avoided by pretending to look through his phone messages.
"How long are you going to keep this up?" Lian asked his scheming manager.
"As long as it takes," Mr. Du said with a smirk. Lian shook his head again.
"Shang, why are you so upset? You've been like that since last night. What happened?" Yang asked the fuming singer. Shang growled, thrusting the magazine into Yang's hands and viciously pointed at an article. Yang read through it. "Shang these are all just rumors. Besides, why would you care?" She had to ask, even though she already knew the answer. Shang turned into a demon again with fire around him. Yang shrank away.
Gong Xi sighed happily. "Dn't you just love makeovers? It makes you feel like Cinderella where the fairy godmother comes and turn you into something pretty," she said to herself.
"Gong Xi, have you seen this article?" Qin asked her best friend, holding up the magazine flipped to a particular page. It had a picture of Gong Xi and Dun He Lian sitting next to each other.
"No. What is it?" Gong Xi had finished with her make-up and was sitting between her two friends. She took the magazine and scanned through it. "Me and... and... and Li-" Gong Xi choked. "T-t-together? Who comes up with these rumors?" She got up and started to pace.
"Ladies, we're finished setting up," one of the crew members announced to them. They all nodded.
"I don't why you're making a fuss about it," Fei Li Hua said, rolling her eyes and flipped her hair back. "I mean, who could ever like girls your type," she scoffed then strutted out of the tent. Gong XI frowned after her.
"Don't mind her, Gong Xi," Shu Fang said. "If only we were on the Box R set we could really teach her a lesson." She gave an evil grin, making Gong Xi smile like Qing Yuan.
"Lets go," she said. They walked out of the tent together and met up with Director Hong Long.
"There you are. Now this next scene is between Mulan and Ling under the tree. It's a moment that shows how close their friendship are and how hard it is for Mulan to lie to Ling about the arranged marriage and how hard it is for Jun Cheng to protect Mulan without hurting her," the director said.
Gong Xi and Shu Fang nodded, walking over to the bench under the tree. "Ready, and... Action!" Director Hong Long took his seat behind the camera screens.
"I haven't seen you in a long time," Shu Fang said, "Why won't you come out and talk to me before?"
"I'm sorry, Ling," Gong Xi said. "I've been busy. Mother and Father had me... do some things around the house while Li Mei was out and doing who knows what. I'm sorry." Gong Xi looked down and plucked a white flower near the bench. She held it out to Shu Fang and used her eyes to ask for forgiveness.
"Okay," Shu Fang sighed, giving in.
Just as she was about the reach for the flower, a blue butterfly flew and landed right on it. Both girls sat still, watching as it slowly flapped it's wings then settled. They locked eyes with each other and smiled.
"It's so beautiful," Gong Xi whispered, afraid that it would fly away if she spoke louder.
Shu Fang nodded. Gong Xi slowly lifted her other hand and stuck out a finger in front of the butterfly. As expected, the blue butterfly flew gracefully onto the crook of Gong Xi's finger. She was gentle to the butterfly, pulling it away from the flower slowly. It flapped its wings a couple of times then settled again. The friends stared at it, admiring it. The moment hadn't last, though, as a leaf from the tree above fell and landed between the two girls. It startled the butterfly, making it fly away. They sighed in disappointment, watching go. Gong Xi turned to Shu Fang, tapped her shoulder, and held out the white flower again. Shu Fang laughed, accepting the flower and sniffed it.
"Promise to never lose contact with each other?" Shu Fang asked.
"Promise," Gong Xi confirmed. They held out their hands and pinky promised. They laughed as they shook it.
"Cut! That was great. Not exactly planned, but great," Director Hong Long commented. "Good job, girls."
"Thank you, director," Gong Xi and Shu Fang said, bowing.
The rest of the day went by smoothly. Director Hong Long was smart enough to leave the YI Chen and Li Mei scenes the last to film.
"Hello," Lian said to Shang during one of their breaks. He sat next to him and drank a bottle of water. Shang glared at him.
"What do you want?" Shang spat. He crossed his arms.
"You need help on those romantic scenes, right? I'm just here to help," Lian replied smoothly. Shang stayed quiet. "My advice, think of someone that you admire, someone you care about then let it show while you're talking to Fei Li Hua."
"Why are you helping me?" Shang asked curiously, not looking at him.
"Because, I don't know if you notice but, you're slowing down the filming. If you get those scenes right, we'll go alot faster." Lian got up to sit opposite of Shang and added, "And I don't like it when filmings are delayed." He gave a charming smile that disgusted Shang then got out his script to rehearse for the next scene.
The girls walked into the tent after finishing their scenes and sat by each other on seperate chairs. Shu Fang pulled out her bag.
"Hey, I brought some candy. Actually my manager stuffed them in there, but here," Shu Fang said, pulling out a plastic bag. She passed it to Qin and Gong Xi.
Qin shrugged. "I guess a little sweets wouldn't hurt much," she said. She pulled out a bag of chewy fruit candy then passed it to Gong Xi.
Gong Xi sifted through the bag then looked up. "Mr. Lian, Mr. Du, do you want some?" She asked.
"Uh, no thank you, Gong Xi," Mr. Du said. Lian shook his head.
Gong Xi could still feel anger rolling off of Shang, his eyes glaring at her. Why is he still mad? At me? she thought. She pulled out her secret weapon fron the plastic bag and threw it at Shang. It hit his head hard. "So you could stop glaring at me," Gong Xi explained when he stared at the object she thrown and looked at her. She pulled out a grape flavor hard candy that reminded her of Corn, then passed the bag back to Shu Fang. She popped the candy into her mouth and hummed.
Shand flipped the object over and over in his hand and sighed, opening the box and pulling out the mini strawberry pudding. He was glaring at her when she offered Lian candy. He knew it was a stupid thing to be jealous at but he just couldn't stand how close they are. What made it worse was the article he read and the show he watched the night before kept haunting him.
"Gong Xi, that butterfly wasn't part of the script but you went right along with it," Shu Fang said. "That was really smart. I didn't know what to do until you spoke. So I followed your lead."
"Really? I did that unintentionally," Gong Xi admitted. "When I was little, I liked to stare at butterflies because of how beautiful they are and how much they reminded me of fairies."
"You must be a loner when you were little," Fei Li Hua commented sourly.
Gong Xi smiled though. "I was but not entirely." Li Hua gave her a look that said, "Freak."
A/n: I was so on a roll with this part. It's around 3,100 words ^^