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.

The weather is unpredictable. Halfway through the afternoon shoot, the originally clear sky suddenly became covered with dark clouds, and heavy rain poured down.

This scene happened to be the one where the little fairy played by Elena Lu was made difficult by the villain played by Vanessa, kneeling in the rain for a long time.

"Director, I think a kneeling scene in the rain can better reflect the character's misery. No need for an umbrella, let's just film in the rain." Vanessa suggested, a hint of calculation flashing in her eyes.

The director looked at the weather and nodded: "Okay, Elena, hard work. Get ready to start!"

The cold rain instantly drenched Elena to the core. The thin costume clung to her body, making her whole body tremble with cold.

"Cut! Vanessa, your expression is wrong, do it again!"

"Cut! Elena, kneel straighter!"

Vanessa deliberately found various excuses to reshoot, and Elena knelt in the rain for a full hour. Not until the director finally shouted "Pass," Vanessa was immediately surrounded by several assistants and went back to the lounge, while Elena could only hold her drenched body, curled up under a simple shed on the set to take shelter from the rain.

Cold, bone-chilling cold.

Elena snapped her fingers, trying to give herself a little psychological comfort, but found her hand was shaking so much she couldn't even make a sound.

Just then, a huge, entirely black private RV slowly stopped in front of her.

The window rolled down, revealing Julian Sterling's cold face.

"Get in." He spat out two words.

Elena was stunned for a moment, pointing to herself: "Mr. Sterling, I'm all covered in water, I'll get your car dirty..."

"I don't want to repeat it for the third time. Get in." Julian's tone carried a hint of irritation.

Elena didn't dare to refuse again, bowed her head, and slipped into the warm RV like a puppy that fell into the water.

The interior of the car was covered with thick carpets, and the air was filled with a high-end sandalwood fragrance. Julian sat on a single sofa, holding a script in his hand.

He casually threw over a clean cotton towel, which happened to cover Elena's head.

"Dry yourself."

Elena obediently wiped her hair, saying in a small voice: "Thank you, Mr. Sterling... you're truly a good person."

Julian's hand flipping the script paused, his tone flat: "Elena, you're playing a fairy, not a drenched chicken. Catching a cold will delay my filming progress."

Elena said "oh," a small sense of loss rising in her heart. As expected, for a high-and-mighty Movie Star, all tenderness has a purpose.

Julian stood up, poured a cup of steaming hot cocoa from the constant-temperature box next to him, and handed it to her.

"Mr. Sterling, why do you always... take such good care of me?" Elena held the cup and finally asked the question in her heart.

Julian looked at her small face, which was pale from the cold, his gaze deepened, but he only spat out one sentence flatly: "Probably because... the investors are quite optimistic about you."

"Investors?" Elena's eyes widened, "Which boss is it? How come I don't know..."

Julian didn't answer, just sat back in his original place, his gaze falling on the script, but the corner of his mouth unconsciously curled up slightly.

He was the largest investor in this drama.

And his vision had never been wrong.

The rain stopped and the sky cleared, but the atmosphere in the film set became subtle.

The assistant director's attitude toward Elena Lu had a complete 180-degree turn. He not only gave her an independent simple lounge but also assigned all the heavy lifting jobs that originally belonged to her to others.

"Miss Lu, tired? Come, here are some mangosteens just flown in, have a taste." The assistant director smiled with wrinkles all over his face.

Elena was terrified: "Assistant Director, please don't be like this, just call me Elena."

"How can that be!" The assistant director whispered mysteriously, "The higher-ups have instructed to take good care of you. You, your future is limitless."

Elena was completely confused. Higher-ups? Could it really be that "investor" Mr. Sterling mentioned?

This afternoon, Julian Sterling's part was partially completed, and he should have left the set to return to the hotel to rest. But he broke precedent and stayed, sitting behind the director's chair, watching Elena film her last solo scene.

It was a scene of dancing under the moon.

Although Elena was eighteenth-tier, she originally had a background in classical dance. The moonlight sprinkled on her long sleeves, and she was like a light white crane, dancing in the night wind, her gaze melancholy and resolute.

The whole place was silent.

Even Vanessa, who had been finding fault, shut her mouth, because at that moment, Elena was breathtakingly beautiful, completely overshadowing her, the protagonist's, radiance.

"Good! Great!" The director slapped his thigh excitedly, "Elena, you were simply born for this play!"

Elena calmed her breathing and subconsciously looked in Julian's direction.

Julian sat in the shadow, playing with a dark-colored lighter in his hand. Their eyes met, and he slowly nodded, his eyes carrying a trace of unmasked appreciation.

In the evening, the crew had a dinner party.

To save face, Vanessa deliberately tried to force Elena to drink at the big table.

"Sister Elena performed so well today, she must drink a few more glasses. This is good wine Mr. Chen specially brought." Vanessa held the wine glass, her eyes poisonous.

Mr. Chen was a small shareholder of the crew, currently staring at Elena with lecherous eyes: "Yes, yes, yes, Miss Lu, give me some face."

Elena looked at the glass of white wine with difficulty; she was allergic to alcohol, and drinking it would cause big trouble.

Just as she was about to brace herself and take it, a slender and powerful hand steadily pressed down on her wine glass.

Julian Sterling had walked over at some point, his tone cold as ice.

"Mr. Chen, my artist does not accompany for drinks."

As soon as this was said, the whole place was dead silent.

When did Julian Sterling sign an artist? And, when did Elena Lu become his artist?

Julian ignored everyone's reaction, directly pulled Elena's wrist, and walked out.

"Mr. Sterling, when did I become your artist?" At the parking lot, Elena asked in a small voice.

Julian stopped, turned around, and his deep gaze locked onto her: "Just now. Elena, are you willing to sign with 'Julian Sterling Studio'?"

Elena was stunned. Julian Sterling Studio was a place where countless first-tier stars squeezed their heads to get in.

"But I'm only eighteenth-tier..."

"I have confidence in turning you into the brightest star in this circle." Julian leaned down, his voice carrying a hint of seduction, "As long as you nod."

Elena looked at his serious expression, and her heart skipped a beat.

"I... I do."

Since signing with Julian Sterling Studio, Elena Lu's resources had indeed improved a lot, but she still remained low-profile.

On the day of the wrap party for the "Eternal Life" crew, because the hotel entrance was crowded with fans and surrogate photographers, the scene was once very chaotic.

As a supporting actress, Elena wanted to slip away quietly through the back door. But unexpectedly, several sharp-eyed paparazzi had already ambushed the back door.

"Elena Lu! Look at the camera!"

Flashlights went off one after another, and Elena dodged somewhat awkwardly. Today she wore a light pink tube top long dress, beautiful as it was, but it was somewhat inconvenient to move.

Suddenly, she tripped.

"Hiss—" The satin high-heel strap actually came loose.

Just as she was so embarrassed she didn't know what to do, even worried she would fall flat on her face in public, a slender figure pushed through the crowd and walked straight to her.

The surrounding noise seemed to disappear instantly.

Julian Sterling.

He wore a sophisticated dark gray suit today, cold and noble. In front of everyone, under the focus of countless cameras, this three-time Movie Star who had never had any scandals and was unapproachable, actually slowly knelt on one knee.

He bowed his head, his movements gentle and serious as he held Elena's ankle, wrapping that thin ribbon around her slender ankle and tying a perfect bow.

"Mr. Sterling..." Elena whispered, her face instantly turning red to the root of her ears.

Julian stood up, naturally bringing her into his arms, and whispered an instruction: "Walk slower."

This scene was captured by countless lenses and uploaded to the internet at the speed of light.

In less than ten minutes, Weibo crashed.

The topic [Julian Sterling Romance Exposure] was followed by a purple-red "Explosion" character.

[My god! Movie Star Sterling actually knelt to tie shoelaces?! What kind of domineering CEO falls in love with me plot is this?] [Who is that girl? Elena Lu? Is it that small star who's riding on his coattails?] [Unfollowed! Julian Sterling, you actually took a fancy to this eighteenth-tier!] [Although but, this picture is really sweet, the Movie Star's gaze is almost pulling silk...]

Anti-fans and water armies flooded into Elena's Weibo, and curses were heard without end. Elena sat in the car, looking at the malicious comments on her phone, her hand trembling slightly.

"Mr. Sterling, how about issuing a statement to clarify? Just say it's because I'm an artist of the studio, and you helped me out of gentlemanly grace." Elena looked at Julian sitting aside as if for help.

Julian was staring at the phone screen, his fingertip gliding over that photo of him tying the shoelaces.

"Gentlemanly grace?" He let out a cold laugh, "Elena, do you think I'm someone who has gentlemanly grace for everyone?"

"Then..."

"Ignore Weibo." Julian put down his phone, turned to look at her, his eyes deep as a bottomless lake, "Leave it to me."

Ten minutes later, Julian forwarded that candid photo.

Without any PR rhetoric, without any long-winded talk, only one simple sentence:

"It's not a romance exposure; it's that I finally caught my little star. @ElenaLu"

The whole internet exploded again. This was not a clarification; this was a whole-internet official announcement!

That night, Elena Lu was taken back by Julian Sterling to his private villa.

As soon as they entered, Elena was pressed against the wall of the hallway by Julian. The sound-controlled light dimmed, and the surrounding was so quiet that only each other's heartbeat could be heard.

"Mr. Sterling, that on Weibo is..." Elena's voice was as thin as a mosquito's buzz.

Julian didn't let go, but instead took a step closer, his forehead lightly pressing against hers.

"What did you call me?"

"Ju... Julian." Elena changed her address, her heart about to jump out of her throat.

"Elena, do you really not remember me?" Julian's voice carried a rare trace of grievance, like a big boy who had lost his favorite toy.

Elena was stunned: "I remember, you're the Movie Star, my boss..."

"Not just these." Julian let out a low laugh and took out a somewhat old small metal box from his pocket.

It was a throat lozenge box of a certain brand that had been out of production for several years.

Elena stared at that box, and the dusty memories in her mind instantly woke up.

Five years ago, a lecture at the film academy.

At that time, Julian had just won his first award. Although he was very famous, he hadn't been deified like now. That day he had a heavy cold, his voice so hoarse he could almost not speak, but he still insisted on completing the two-hour sharing.

After the lecture, everyone surrounded him for autographs. Only one girl with a ponytail and wearing a simple T-shirt quietly squeezed in front of him, stuffed a box of throat lozenges into his hand, left a red-faced "Senior, take care of your body," and then turned and ran.

That girl was Elena Lu.

"You ran too fast back then, I didn't even have time to ask your name." Julian opened the box, inside lay a few unfinished candies, and a yellowed small note that said: Keep it up, future Movie Star.

"These candies... why haven't you finished them?" Elena's eyes turned red.

"Because I couldn't bear to eat them." Julian leaned down, his lips against her ear, "This was the only bit of sweetness I received during my darkest and most pressured days."

Elena finally understood why he called out her name behind the rockery, why he "by the way" gave her advice time and again, and why he risked losing fans to publicly announce their romance.

It turned out that the protagonist of this long-planned "unspoken rule" had always been her.

"Mr. Sterling, are you... repaying a kindness?" Elena asked with a nasal voice.

"No." Julian gripped the back of her head and sealed her lips, murmuring vaguely amidst the turning, "I am... repaying love."

This kiss was gentle and intense, as if to integrate five years of longing into this night.

One year later.

At the Golden Deer Awards ceremony, the stars were shining.

Elena Lu wore a starlight-璀璨 dark blue gown, walking across the red carpet arm-in-arm with Julian Sterling.

Today, she was no longer that small star playing a corpse on set. With the strong support of Julian Sterling Studio, plus her own solid acting skills, she had already made a name for herself in several hit dramas and became a popular young actress.

"Nervous?" Julian asked in a low voice, his hand always tightly holding Elena's fingers.

"A little." Elena nodded honestly, "But I'm more afraid that if you don't win an award later, I'll cry."

Julian chuckled: "Silly, I've won all the awards I should win, today I'm just accompanying."

Facts proved that Julian's vision was as sharp as ever.

That night, Elena, with her brilliant performance in the movie "Breaking Dawn," unexpectedly won the "Best Supporting Actress" crown.

The moment she stepped onto the podium, the spotlight hit her. Elena looked at the man in the audience who always had a cold expression but now had eyes full of tenderness, her voice trembling slightly.

"Thanks to my team, thanks to the director, and finally... I want to thank one person."

The whole audience held their breath, everyone knew who she was going to say.

"Thanks to him for being willing to walk into that rockery and wake up a dreaming little zombie when I was at my lowest."

Good-natured laughter and applause sounded from the audience.

"Julian Sterling, thank you for becoming my light."

After the awards ceremony, the two dodged the crazy reporters and drove to the seaside.

The sea breeze was cool, and Julian took off his coat and draped it over Elena's shoulders.

"Miss Lu, now that you've won an award and your career is somewhat successful." Julian took out an exquisite velvet box from his pocket, "Is it time to consider fulfilling your promise from a year ago?"

Elena was stunned: "What promise?"

"You said you'd pay me back with your whole life." Julian opened the box, a huge pink diamond shining brightly under the moonlight.

He knelt on one knee, just like he tied the shoelaces at the wrap party that day.

"Elena, are you willing to change from being my artist alone to being my... Mrs. Sterling alone?"

The waves slapped the reefs, and the starry sky shone overhead.

Elena stretched out her hand, her eyes full of unhideable happiness: "I do."

【Small Theater】

During a late-night interview after marriage, the host asked Julian: "Mr. Sterling, what do you think is the best scene you've ever acted in your life?"

Julian looked at Elena sitting in the audience, happily stroking her slightly bulging abdomen, his gaze more gentle than ever before.

"I never act in my life. All the favoritism is a true performance of myself."

---(The End)---