Bruce Harris and I are notorious rivals in the entertainment industry.

Our agents have been at each other’s throats for three years, and our fans can’t even be in the same room without getting into heated arguments.

But on the first day of filming for our new drama, I found myself face-to-face with him on set.

Director William Nelson pointed to the script and said to us, “Alright, let’s start with the kissing scene.”

...

"Wendy, are you sure you want me to do this script?"

I was fiddling with the signed contract in my hands, my fingers absentmindedly running over the paper.

"I’ve never done a script with so many romantic scenes before."

Wendy Allen, my top-tier agent, sat across from me, scrolling through her tablet.

Hearing my words, she rolled her eyes. "Julia, this is the urban romance drama that Director William has been working on for three years. The screenwriter won a White Orchid Award, and Stellar Glow Pictures is producing it."

"I fought hard to get you this opportunity. Do you have any idea how many people would kill for the female lead role?"

I stared at the bolded line in the character summary: "Multiple intimate scenes with the male lead." My temples throbbed.

But Wendy was right—this was a huge opportunity.

I signed the contract.

During the script read-through before filming, the male lead was absent. He’d taken the day off.

William is a well-known director, and last-minute script changes are common.

On the first day of shooting, I sat in the makeup room while the makeup artist worked on my face.

I was scrolling through the latest version of the script that William had sent.

Suddenly, a push notification popped up on Instagram: #Bruce rumored to take the lead role in The Last Sip of Heartache#

The Last Sip of Heartache?

"Damn!" I almost dropped my phone.

"Bruce?"

The air in the makeup room froze instantly.

Wendy’s phone hit the table with a thud.

Her fist clenched involuntarily.

"Who are you talking about?"

"Your ex-boyfriend, the one you managed—he’s the top star now." I shrank back a little.

"Kevin Wilson, that bastard!" Wendy’s yell was so loud that Alice White, the assistant outside, hesitated to enter.

I gave Alice a signal, and she quickly found a corner to hide in.

Wendy pulled out her phone and started typing furiously.

I caught a glimpse of the WhatsApp contact name: Dog Stealer, and the latest message was a 60-second voice memo.

I quietly closed Instagram and went back to reading the script.

Wendy and Kevin’s feud was an open secret in the industry.

From being a couple to becoming bitter enemies, they’d even gotten into a public shouting match at a magazine gala last year, which went viral.

And Bruce and I? We were both the rising stars they had each helped launch.

"Listen, Julia." Wendy suddenly placed a hand on my shoulder.

"This is William’s drama. He wouldn’t be happy if he lost the male lead, and I didn’t check who the male lead was. That was my mistake."

"Filming starts today. If we breach the contract, we’ll have to pay ten times the salary."

I silently raised the script in front of Wendy.

"This drama has so many kissing scenes... At the magazine event and platform activities, if Bruce is there, you can’t even exchange a glance with him..."

Wendy gritted her teeth and opened the script, her forehead vein visibly pulsing.

"That was a business event! This is work—remember, act well, and keep your distance off-screen!"

Bruce finally arrived at the set before the opening ceremony.

He and his agent bowed to Director William in apology before rushing to the makeup room for his transformation.

I was wearing the outfit and hat provided by the crew, and Bruce, already done up, stood next to me in the same attire and gave me a slight nod.

"Teacher Julia, please guide me." A fake smile pulled at his lips.

Bruce’s eyes curved into crescent moons, and his lashes cast delicate shadows beneath them.

Fans always say his almond eyes look deep even when he's just staring at a dog.

But I knew it was all part of the cold, calculated charm that came with being in the entertainment industry.

Wendy pinched me from behind.

I immediately forced a smile. "Teacher Bruce, I’m looking forward to working with you."

After the opening ceremony, William cheerfully squeezed in between us and threw his arms around our shoulders.

"With Julia and Bruce's faces, plus my carefully crafted script, I’m really expecting a lot from this!"

The first scene started filming that afternoon.

When I saw the "first meeting kiss scene" highlighted in red on the schedule, I finally understood what William meant by "breaking the norms."

What kind of film set starts with a kiss scene?

"This is to help the actors get into character quickly," William explained, rubbing his hands behind the monitor. "Joy Mitchell and Wesley Green are meeting for the first time and are immediately attracted to each other’s looks. I want that explosive chemistry!"

We nodded, and Director William turned back to continue adjusting the set.

Wrapped in a down jacket, I sat on a folding chair, watching as the stylist adjusted Bruce's tie.

He was wearing a white shirt for this scene, the sleeves rolled up to reveal his well-defined forearms.

I had to admit, this guy definitely deserved the title of "national boyfriend."

"Julia," Wendy suddenly handed me a bottle of mouthwash.

"Can you make sure it’s not off-center?" she asked.

I took the bottle, swished the mouthwash, then spat it out, quietly replying, "William wants a real kiss."

Wendy frowned. "Then treat it like you're kissing a steak!"

Five minutes before the scene began, Bruce suddenly walked over to me.

He was nearly 20 cm taller than me, his shadow completely engulfing me.

"Teacher Julia," he said, offering me a mint with a challenging glint in his eyes.

"Do you want this?"

I grabbed the candy and popped it into my mouth, crunching it. "Thanks, Teacher Bruce, but I heard that during your last kiss scene, your co-star complained it was like chewing on corn. Let’s hope you don’t 'chew' through William’s scene."

The sharp snap of the script supervisor Jason’s clapperboard echoed.

In an instant, I slipped into Joy’s character.

In the script, Joy, frustrated after being harassed by a business partner, messes up a major deal and gets scolded by her boss. She drowns her sorrows at a bar.

Bruce—now playing the elite investor Wesley—happens to be working at the bar for a friend.

Joy mistakes Wesley for a bartender and orders a drink.

According to the script, our gazes should collide with intense, passionate chemistry.

But when he actually looked at me, I was momentarily lost.

His eyes, usually filled with indifference, now held the "aggressive" intensity described in the script.

"Sorry," his fingertips brushed mine as he handed me the drink Joy had ordered.

"Do you want more lemon?"

That was Wesley's line.

I was supposed to reply, "The drink’s already sweet and spicy, do you really need more acidity?"

Then he’d say, "You don’t look happy. Let’s add some lemon to tone down the spice."

An outdated, cheesy pickup line.

But when Bruce said it in that deep, sultry voice, my ears inexplicably started to burn.

"Cut!" William suddenly shouted.

"Julia, why are you blushing? Joy would be rolling her eyes internally and flirting with Wesley through her gaze!"

Laughter rang out from the crew.

I caught a glimpse of Bruce’s lips twitching, clearly holding back a laugh.

Wendy was frantically signaling from the sidelines, and Kevin was watching us warily.

In the second take, I nailed the emotions William wanted.

As Bruce leaned in closer, I heard him whisper my name in a breathy voice, "Teacher Julia."

I reflexively blinked.

He seized the opportunity, pulling me into a deep kiss.

The peppermint candy I’d eaten before the shoot still left a cool sensation on my tongue.

That coolness contrasted sharply with his warm lips, and for a moment, I almost forgot to breathe.

His professionalism snapped me back into reality, and I tilted my chin up to meet him.

He kissed me, leaning over the narrow bar counter.

I sat just outside the counter, and I could see his Adam's apple move as he leaned in.

He pressed his lips against mine for what felt like an eternity.

But William hadn’t called "cut" yet.

I felt him gently release my head, his hand cradling my face as his lips still lingered on mine, soft and lingering.

My neck ached from the angle.

"Cut! Perfect!" William shouted, jumping up from his chair.

"That’s the tension I was looking for! This combo is a visual feast!"

As Bruce pulled away, his thumb casually brushed the corner of my mouth.

His eyes had returned to their usual playful look, the intensity of the scene gone.

"Sorry, Julia. Hope I didn’t nibble too hard, huh?"

I took the tissue Alice handed me and wiped my lips quickly, forcing a smile under Wendy’s sharp gaze. "Bruce, have you been taking special lessons? Truly dedicated."

William waved us over from behind the monitor.

"Great energy in that scene. Just pay attention to this angle..."

William pointed to a few camera positions.

"Go touch up your lipstick. We’ll shoot a few more angles for this scene."

By the time we wrapped up, it was late.

I dragged my exhausted body back to the hotel, and just as I was about to collapse onto the bed, my WhatsApp buzzed with a message from Bruce.

It was through the group chat that William had insisted we join.

For "necessary communication" between the male and female leads, William had insisted we stay in touch, in case he needed to make any last-minute script revisions.

"Julia, could you change your lipstick for the next kiss scene? This one tastes too bitter."

I stared at the message, my finger hovering over the keyboard. I typed, deleted, and retyped my response.

"Bruce, are you really that free? Shouldn’t you be rehearsing lines or getting into character instead of worrying about lipstick? Or are we working late again?"

After sending it, I felt like it wasn’t sharp enough, so I added a smiley emoji.

A few seconds later, he replied, "Don’t worry, Julia. My performance is always steady."

Heh.

Wendy was right—this guy definitely had ulterior motives.

Anyone who’d been involved with Wendy’s ex was bound to be trouble.

I shut off my phone and tossed it onto the bed, rushing to the bathroom to scrub my face furiously.

The kiss scene had been reshot multiple times by William from different angles.

Even now, I could still see a faint red tint on my lips in the mirror.

I squeezed out a generous amount of makeup remover and rubbed it across my lips, scrubbing them with vigor.

That jerk Bruce, always finding excuses to get close, and his kissing technique was awful.

William never allowed breaks during filming.

Bruce had missed the script read-through before filming because of an unavoidable prior engagement.

Since filming started, we’d been on set every day.

The schedule wasn’t arranged by episodes; instead, they filmed all scenes in one location before moving on to the next.

The crew was always good at keeping things under wraps.

The first day Bruce and I filmed the kiss scene in a studio, and nothing leaked out.

But modern urban dramas sometimes had outdoor shoots, and where there’s outdoor filming, there’s bound to be paparazzi.

Sure enough, the day after we filmed a street kiss, Bruce and I were trending on Weibo.

#Bruce Julia Kiss Scene Leak#

The accompanying photo was a candid shot from the set the day before.

Bruce had lowered his head to kiss me, while I tilted my face back, my fingers subconsciously clutching his shirt.