A Night of Desire

Chapter 190: Who Will Be So Lucky?

But apparently not.

Instead, when she saw the word "kiss," what flashed through her mind was the image of Seth Quinn kissing her.

’Clara Grant, have you lost your mind?’

’Even though she’d only ever been kissed by one man in her twenty-three years—Seth Quinn—it wasn’t as if she should think of him every time she saw the word kiss, right?’

But that was easier said than done. The memories of Seth Quinn’s deep, heart-pounding kisses churned relentlessly in Clara’s mind, impossible to shake off.

"...Clara, Clara, what’s wrong? Why is your face so red?" Director Liam Keane’s voice finally pulled her from her thoughts. Realizing she had been spacing out for so long, she felt a little embarrassed and hurriedly waved her hands at Director Keane.

"Oh, Director Keane, I’m fine, I’m fine."

But a look of sudden understanding dawned on Director Keane’s face. He smiled at her and teased good-naturedly, "Is it because we have to film the kissing scene? Are you feeling a little shy?"

Before Clara could explain, he continued, "It’s your first time filming a kissing scene, so it’s understandable for a young woman to be a little shy. But you have to remember that you’re an actress, and sometimes kissing scenes are unavoidable.

"Fortunately, the kiss scene tomorrow is just a light, brief one—just a quick peck is all that’s needed. Clara, I’m sure you’ll have no problem. It’ll be another one-take wonder, I bet."

When Clara realized he thought she was blushing out of shyness for the kissing scene, she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. As the color gradually returned to her face, she declared resolutely, "Don’t worry, Director. I won’t have any mental hangups. I’m confident I can do it in one take!"

Director Keane was very pleased. "Good, that’s good."

’Filming a kissing scene with the man I’ve had a crush on for three years, and I’m not the least bit excited.’ Clara figured her reaction time was just slow and it hadn’t really sunk in yet.

She thought that once it finally registered, she would be too excited to sleep all night. But she was wrong again. Not only did she not lose sleep from excitement, but she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow and slept soundly until morning, without a single dream.

Her scene was third on the schedule for the morning, so she wasn’t short on time. However, her makeup and hairstyle for the role were rather complicated, so she still finished breakfast early and went to the makeup room to wait for the artist.

Holly Summers didn’t have any scenes today, but—whether inspired by Clara’s diligence or influenced by her early-rising habit—she also got up early and came along.

As Clara had her makeup done, Holly Summers sat to the side, looking down at her phone and glancing up at her from time to time. With every look, the awe in her eyes grew.

She had seen Clara in this style many times before, but she still couldn’t help but be struck with awe every time she saw it.

Because once Clara was in a qipao with her hair in an updo and her makeup done, even though her makeup was heavy and garish to fit her role as a courtesan singer, she was still incredibly beautiful—so beautiful that Holly, a woman herself, found it hard to look away.

Sometimes, as Holly watched, she would wonder, ’Who’s going to be the lucky guy who ends up with such a beautiful woman?’

...

When Seth Quinn arrived on set, he was surprised to find Linden Jennings, River Sterling, and even Poppy Vance were all there.

"Why are you all here?" Seth Quinn asked, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

"Well, well. It’s Saturday. I was planning to sleep in, then hit the town with a few beautiful ladies. But, what can I say? My work ethic is just too strong, my sense of responsibility too great.

"I just couldn’t stop thinking about the progress on *A Lifetime of Splendor*, so I sacrificed my precious weekend to come take a look."

River Sterling spoke with such dramatic flair, making himself sound incredibly noble.