Chapter 175
He couldn’t keep standing still and waiting anymore. It was time to take action.
Not even Lisa or anyone would be able to stop him.
Hearing Logan’s words, Lexi’s eyes widened.
She studied his extraordinarily handsome face for a long moment, searching for any sign that he was lying.
But she couldn’t find one.
It seemed Logan really had seen her in Paris.
Lexi let out a quiet sigh. She was about to ask exactly what he’d witnessed when Director Daniel called out, “Action p>
She had no choice but to push all her personal thoughts aside and immerse herself in her role.
Since Lexi had no romantic feelings for Logan, filming their love scenes proved particularly difficult.
They were supposed to portray a couple deeply in love, perfectly in sync with each other. For Lexi, that was a tremendous challenge.
She’d spent much of the previous evening trying to calm her heart and put her emotions in order. Yet when she faced Logan and delivered her lines, her heart still gave an uncontrollable flutter.
So this was what it felt like to go against her own heart.
It was far more painful than she’d imagined.
“All right, all right! Cut for a moment. We’re adding another intimate scene. You two, get ready. Makeup, touch them up p>
Director Daniel shouted across the set, waving the makeup artist over.
While the makeup artist refreshed her appearance, Lexi quickly flipped through the script.
There wasn’t supposed to be an intimate scene here.
Why were they adding one now?
“Director, when was this scene added? Why wasn’t I told about it?” Lexi asked, frowning in confusion.
“This is what the audience has been asking for. What can I do?” Director Daniel replied earnestly, as though the matter were perfectly reasonable. “Besides, you two haven’t had enough interaction. If we don’t add more romantic moments, the relationship will feel abrupt in the final cut p>
He waved a hand dismissively.
“Besides, the kissing scenes will be filmed at an angle, so it won’t be a real kiss. As for the bedroom scene, you’ll only take off your outer robes, and we’ll use longer shots. There won’t be any problem p>
He spoke with such conviction that Lexi almost felt as though she were the one being unreasonable.
“It’s one of the least demanding intimate scenes a female actress could be asked to do,” Logan added with a teasing smile. “You don’t even have to wear anything revealing. What’s there to be afraid of p>
He stared at Lexi without blinking, as though trying to see straight through her.
“Unless…” His smile deepened. “You’re worried you’ll actually fall for me and turn this into a real romance p>
Lexi knew perfectly well that he was deliberately trying to provoke her.
She simply turned away and ignored him, concentrating on studying her script.
Once the makeup artist finished, they resumed filming.
Lexi and Logan sat side by side on the bed, dressed in their period costumes. After delivering their lines, Logan suddenly leaned toward her.
Lexi’s heart jumped, but she quickly reminded herself that this was acting. Nothing more.
Seeing her sitting there like a startled little bird, Logan let out a low chuckle.
As his face drew closer, Lexi fought the urge to push him away. In the end, she resigned herself to the scene and slowly closed her eyes.
A kiss carrying a faint scent of mint landed on her forehead, then between her brows, and finally on the tip of her nose.
Then his lips moved toward hers.
Lexi pressed her full, rosy lips together, her fingers gradually curling into tight fists. She could feel Logan’s breath growing closer.
Clenching her teeth, she silently counted to herself.
One. Two. Three.
She could get through this.
“Stop p>
A cold voice rang out beside her.
Lexi felt as though she’d been granted a reprieve. She sprang off the bed and hurried away from Logan.
She was about to turn toward Director Daniel when she saw a familiar figure standing in front of the camera.
Sebastian Blackwood wore a light-gray overcoat. His brows were drawn together, and his expression was so terrifyingly dark that no one dared speak.
“Uncle Sebastian! You’re here p>
Logan was the first to react. He straightened his loose imperial robe and greeted Sebastian with a cheerful grin.
Sebastian had already been furious at the sight of Logan and Lexi behaving so intimately.
And now the man responsible was acting as though nothing had happened—bold enough, in fact, to call him Uncle.
That was the final spark.
Logan had just fanned Sebastian’s simmering anger into a blazing inferno.
Lexi raised a hand to her forehead and let out a weary sigh.
Whether Lexi was worried that Sebastian would make Logan pay for provoking him, or that he would take his anger out on her instead, she hadn’t expected him to merely glance at her and Logan before fixing his gaze on Director Daniel.
His eyes were dark and piercing, his voice icy.
“Director Daniel, haven’t I told you that Lexi isn’t to film intimate scenes? Not even with camera tricks. Did you take everything I said and throw it out the window p>
Director Daniel had already been freezing under Sebastian’s intimidating presence. Now, he felt as though someone had dumped another bucket of ice water over his head.
Truthfully, he hadn’t wanted to take such a risk by adding an intimate scene either. But the script called for it, and the audience expected it.
Lexi was playing Logan’s empress, after all—a wise and beloved empress whose reign would go down in history.
If the emperor and empress didn’t share even a single intimate moment, wouldn’t viewers start wondering if there was trouble in their marriage?
More importantly, Lexi was an actress. Some roles required a certain degree of sacrifice.
Besides, they were only going to use camera angles to make the scene look intimate. Nothing would actually happen.
If she insisted on maintaining such rigid boundaries, she might as well stay out of show business altogether.
Although those thoughts ran through his mind, Director Daniel didn’t dare voice them to Sebastian.
Instead, he forced a smile.
“Mr. Blackwood, understood. I’ll revise the script right away p>
Sebastian gave a cold snort, grabbed Lexi’s hand, and pulled her off the set.
Her floor-length costume made walking difficult enough. With Sebastian dragging her along, she stumbled several times, struggling to keep up.
Finally, she managed to wrench her hand free.
Before she could say a word, Sebastian tossed her a towel and pointed toward the nearby restroom.
“Go wash your face. Don’t come out until you’ve cleaned it all off p>
Lexi knew Sebastian’s temper. Whatever she said to him right now would go in one ear and out the other.
So she went into the restroom and washed away every trace of makeup.
Only after her face was clean and fresh did she emerge.
Sebastian was sitting on a bench beneath a tree. Lexi walked over and sat beside him.
After a long moment of deliberation, she spoke softly.