Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

Joanna Kennedy sighed and said earnestly, “Simon Lockwood, you’re so hard to please…”

Simon Lockwood’s brow furrowed. He pointedly ignored the phrase “hard to please” and said with a straight face, “It’s because you said it wrong.”

“Then what did I say wrong?” Joanna Kennedy asked him deliberately, a mischievous glint shining in her beautiful, almond-shaped eyes.

The moment Simon Lockwood saw her expression, he knew exactly what she was up to. He lowered his head and gave her lip a frustrated little nip. Mindful that she had to work soon, he bit down very gently, and even lingered to caress the spot with his own lips afterward.

The whole series of actions took only a few seconds. The warmth on her lips spread to her cheeks, making them slowly turn red. So much for the cooling herbal tea. She shot the culprit a glare that lacked any real heat and said in a clear voice, “Why are you always teasing me?”

The one who started the teasing was now playing the victim. Simon Lockwood was used to it. He readily “pleaded guilty.” “Yes, it was me.”

“My herbal tea.” Joanna Kennedy tilted her face up, completely unabashed. “Hurry up and feed it to me.”

Not just asking him to give it to her, but to *feed* it to her. And to do it *quickly*…

‘No one knew how to be pampered like Joanna Kennedy.’ An actress from the same production who happened to be passing by had a complicated look on her face. She thought Joanna Kennedy was being way too high-maintenance.

‘No man likes to be ordered around like that, especially when the man in question is no ordinary person. Leaving aside his family background, just look at his face and demeanor. He’s a top student from Jornheim University. How could he let a woman boss him around like that?’

Having gotten to know her over the past few weeks, the actress actually thought Joanna Kennedy had a pretty good personality. She decided to say something to smooth things over, just in case the man got a cold look on his face and walked away. That would be awkward.

Just as the actress was trying to think of what to say, she looked up and saw the man bringing the cup of herbal tea to the girl’s lips.

The actress: “…”

The man, despite his cold and handsome face, thoughtfully adjusted the straw. He lowered his gaze to look at the girl, his eyes filled with tenderness and focus.

The actress’s lips twitched. ‘It’s the middle of summer, so why does it feel like spring is in the air?’

After finishing the herbal tea and resting a little longer, it was time to resume filming. Joanna Kennedy stood up and gave Simon Lockwood a quick kiss. “The car has AC. You should go wait for me there.”

“Can’t I wait here?” Simon Lockwood asked, holding onto her hand.

“Umm…” Joanna Kennedy looked torn. “You can, but… don’t you think it’s hot out here? It’s so much more comfortable in the car.”

“I don’t,” Simon Lockwood said.

“Alright then…” Joanna still felt bad for him. Filming outdoors in this heat was her job, but there was no reason for Simon to endure it. She couldn’t help but add, “If you start to feel hot, just go to the car. I’ll come find you as soon as I’m wrapped.”

“Okay,” Simon squeezed her fingers. “Be careful during the shoot. If you feel unwell, stop. Don’t force yourself.”

Despite his words, Simon didn’t let go of her hand. Joanna was also reluctant to part. She stood on her tiptoes, initiated another kiss, and whispered, “I know, I’ll listen to my other half~”

“…”

By the time Simon came to his senses, he was subconsciously reaching to adjust his hearing aid. But as his fingers touched the device, he realized Joanna was already too far away to repeat herself. A flash of annoyance crossed his eyes.

Joanna Kennedy was completely different when she was acting. This was a realistic suspense film where she played the female lead, a woman framed for murder who gets apprehended by the police while on the run.

The girl’s face was pressed into the sandy dirt, her slender, pale arms twisted behind her. Simon Lockwood’s pupils contracted. A sharp pain shot through his heart as if he’d been stabbed. He shot to his feet, about to rush over, when a voice from behind him snapped him back to his senses.

“It’s just acting, Mr. Lockwood. No need to be so tense.”

Simon’s expression didn’t soften, but at least he stopped walking forward. He knew that if they didn’t get the shot, Joanna would have to do the scene all over again. He had almost made things worse for her.

“This is my first time meeting you, Mr. Lockwood. You’re not quite like the rumors say.” A clean-cut, handsome man introduced himself, “Hello, my name is Donovan Shaw.”

Simon had heard that name not long ago—from Joanna. His expression grew imperceptibly colder. “Hello.”

Simon’s gaze remained fixed on the girl on camera in the distance. Donovan Shaw said, “Is this your first time on a film set, Mr. Lockwood?”

“Yes.”

“Jojo is even more beautiful when she’s acting. The last scene was between the two of us, and I almost fell for her,” Donovan Shaw said with a half-joking smile.

He was the male lead of this movie, and his character was in a relationship with the one Joanna played. Those three words, “fell for her,” were no different from a provocation.

Simon slowly lifted his eyes. His pitch-black pupils were utterly cold. Donovan Shaw was startled, suddenly feeling as if he were being stared down by a cold-blooded predator.

“What did you just say?”

Simon’s voice was flat, without a ripple of emotion. But on this hot summer day, Donovan Shaw broke out in a cold sweat.

He had worked with Joanna on a modern drama before. Back then, Joanna was even younger and had a bit of a prickly personality. During their collaboration, Donovan couldn’t stop himself from making advances, telling her he wanted their on-screen romance to become a real one. Who would have thought she’d reject him without a moment’s hesitation?

Donovan had been disappointed but hadn’t pursued her relentlessly. After all, Joanna wasn’t the only beautiful woman in the entertainment industry. He gradually let the idea go, but he still tried to strike up a conversation whenever he ran into her.

‘Men just have that desire to conquer. The more Joanna ignored him, the more intrigued he became.’

‘It wasn’t until he heard that Joanna was in a relationship and had even registered her marriage that he finally gave up for good. He never expected a twist of fate would have them working together again. A college kid who was still wet behind the ears had Joanna completely wrapped around his finger. Was he, a star with tens of millions of fans, really going to lose out to some punk kid?’

‘Donovan was indeed provoking him on purpose. It would be best if this college kid was immature enough to throw a punch.’

‘To be intimidated by a single glare from a college kid who hadn’t even entered the workforce yet… Donovan felt humiliated. He wanted to force himself to say something more, but his throat felt like it had been glued shut. He couldn’t get a single word out.’

Donovan finally, slowly, realized he had gravely underestimated the college student before him. He forced a stiff smile. “I…”

“Mr. Shaw, you’re up!” a crew member called out, breaking the tense atmosphere. Donovan Shaw let out a sigh of relief. Not daring to look at Simon again, he hurried away as if he were being chased by a ghost.

The crew member scratched his head, completely baffled.

When the last scene was finished, Joanna went to the restroom to wash her face. She was wearing sticky, uncomfortable makeup to look injured. As she was rubbing remover onto her face, someone hugged her from behind. Joanna wiggled. “What are you doing? It’s so hot…”

“I’m not hot.”

“Well, I am,” Joanna said, exasperated.

“There’s AC.” Despite saying that, Simon slowly, reluctantly let her go. But his lips remained pressed into a thin line, a clear sign that he was not in a good mood.