Chapter 247

Chapter 247
Lily's POV
William whispered in my ear, "You still can't beat me in a fight."
I glared at him. "Who says I can't beat you? Want to try right here and now?"
William was speechless. "..."
I passed the director's test and officially joined the crew.
William, of course, wouldn't let me stay alone on set. Even though everyone knew I was his girlfriend and no one would dare have any ill intentions toward me, he insisted on staying by my side.
"William, aren't you tired?" I asked.
William stood there with his tall, slim figure, looking handsome yet somewhat pitiful.
"Not at all. I'll watch you film."
Soon, we reached an awkward scene in the script where a boy who had admired Female #3 for a long time would suddenly steal a kiss from her on the beach, causing her to lose her first kiss.
William's face darkened progressively as he read through the script.
Everyone around us felt the chill and shuddered.
Just as the two actors were about to kiss, William stepped forward and halted the filming.
"William, what are you doing?" I asked.
William remained unmoved. "No kissing scenes allowed."
I sighed helplessly. "But this is just acting, with camera angles making it look real. It's not an actual kiss, right?"
William's voice grew colder. "Not acceptable!"
"Then what do you suggest? From now on, there are 23 kissing scenes in total. Are you going to make me delete every single one?"
I was at a loss—who told him to push me into this mess without carefully reading the script first?
William's expression became somewhat unnatural.
"Delete them all."
The director beside us looked troubled. "But this is supposed to be a sweet campus romance. If we remove all the intimate scenes, nobody will watch it!"
The director truly didn't want to cut these scenes, looking so anxious he was nearly in tears.
William suddenly lowered his head, a conflicted look crossing his eyes.
"I'll replace him."
William acting?
Not just the director, but even I was stunned.
Then I burst into laughter. "William, you acting? Don't joke around!"
"What's so funny?"
William stared at me until my laughter died in my throat. "This isn't a joke. You can't just casually replace an actor—the director wouldn't agree."
William raised an eyebrow. "What if I invest 100 million? Can I join with that backing?"
The director, who had been looking dejected moments ago, was now ecstatic after hearing this proposal. "Yes, yes, of course! Since William wants to act, I can certainly find a place for him, it's just..."
William frowned. "Just what?"
"Just that it's the role of Male #3. I don't know if that's acceptable to you..."
William's expression relaxed slightly. "That's fine."
The original Male #3 actor could only feel angry but didn't dare express it. He was inferior to William in wealth and looks—how could he compete for this role?
The director gave him a look, and he slunk away dejectedly.
I suddenly felt uncomfortable.
This was a campus romance, so William would need to change out of his suit and into the blue and white school uniform.
Seeing William in the school uniform, looking youthful and radiant, completely overshadowing Henry, the director suddenly seemed regretful. "William, perhaps you should play the male lead instead. I feel your presence completely overshadows Henry, which might not look good in the final product."
Not just Henry, but even Beatrice was overshadowed by our brilliance. The Male #3 and Female #3 now had acting skills and looks that put the leads to shame.
William glanced at the awkward director beside him and asked, "Is Lily the female lead?"
The director paused. "No."
"Then don't ask me again."
After being shut down by William, the director approached me. "Lily, both the male and female leads are being overshadowed. The final product might not turn out well."
I smirked. "It shouldn't be a problem. This drama is all about the chemistry between couples. There's no issue with the leads being overshadowed. Besides, overshadowed by whom?"
The director: "..."
At this point, the director could only helplessly let us continue filming.
Real couples were indeed easier to direct, especially for kissing scenes. For all twenty-three kissing scenes, William kissed me with sincere devotion, making everyone around us blush.
After filming ended that evening, William went to the bathroom while I chatted with Beatrice.
Suddenly, I noticed a familiar figure.
It was her—that woman who was present when Henry and I performed on stage, who gave me a gift. The same woman I met at the hospital.
She seemed to be following me, appearing wherever I went.
I walked over to her.
Last time, I had asked for her name, but she hadn't told me.
Every time I saw her, I had this strange feeling of familiarity.
Yet in my memory, I had never met her before.
"Hello, we meet again," I said.
The woman's expression was peculiar. "Hello. I'm just here as a tourist, happened to be passing by."
I looked at her—this excuse was rather flimsy. What kind of coincidence would bring her to a film set? At night, no less, and right when I was here too?
However, I didn't expose her. I knew she meant me no harm, and that was enough.
"Would you like to come in and look around? I can bring you inside."
The woman shook her head. "It's getting late. I should head back."
"Can I... can I hug you?" I asked.
The woman looked at me and finally nodded in agreement.
I stepped forward and embraced her. I could feel her body trembling.
She pushed me away and turned to leave.
I watched her retreating figure and spoke again.
"Can you tell me your name this time?"
The woman hesitated but ultimately said nothing.
I watched her leave, then raised my hand, looking at the strand of hair I'd managed to collect. I smiled slightly.
"If you won't tell me, I'll investigate myself. Could it be you, Mom?"