Never Too Far Novel

Chapter 1391-1400

“What? You dare to do it but can’t stand other people criticizing you for it?” Lisa raised her chin condescendingly. “I’ve been in this industry long enough to know there are only ever a few tricks simple stunt doubles like you can use to climb to stardom.”

“Yeah? Well, Jessie won’t stoop to that level! She’s far too pure for that!” Lexie retorted.

“Care to share how you get to where you are now, then?”

“You and I are barely acquainted, let alone friends. So why should I tell you?” Jessie monotoned, taking Lisa aback. “As if you’re worthy enough to be my friend, Silverstein.”

“Huh, it’s Jessie who doesn’t want to befriend you. To think a person can be so shameless!” Lexie fired back again, causing Lisa to turn grimly and glare at her. “Don’t get cocky, Silverstein. The higher you go, the harder you fall.” Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

With that, she left smugly.

When Jessie stared at Lisa’s retreating figure, she didn’t sense the animosity from the latter but instead reflected on her incompetence. The reason Lisa dared to mock her right now as she stood here was that she wasn’t good enough yet. In this industry, only after one had enough creditable work and fans and was hardworking and aspirant enough could one ignore other people’s derision.

“You alright, Jessie? Don’t let her get to you.” Lexie comforted her.

“I’m good. She can’t get to me; she will only motivate me.” At that, she hooked her arm around Lexie’s. “C’mon, let’s go! Help me with the script after breakfast. I want to memorize it as quickly as possible.”

“You have wire stunts in the afternoon, Jessie. You think you’re going to be okay?” Vincent asked, to which Jessie nodded with reassurance. “Absolutely. This is my forte.”

Her answer pleased him, for he didn’t like his actors to use stunt doubles.

At around 2.00PM at the hotel, Julian could no longer sit still after learning about the wire stunts arranged in the afternoon from the crew, so he had his assistant ready the car to head to the set.

He was dressed in all black and even wore a baseball cap as he didn’t want to garner attention. He was just there to see how the girl was doing and also to make sure she was safe during her wire stunt.

Because of the wire stunt, Jessi didn’t dare overeat. In the past, she would even do them with an empty stomach as she would be more awake and more agile.

Anything could happen on set, and sure enough, the wire stunt was brought forward as they were missing one of the props for the next scene.

Jessie stood below the crane in her costume while the stunt crew helped secure her to the mechanism. Vincent, too, came to check on the situation and ensured her safety.

After everything was set to go, Vincent gave her some words of encouragement, then cleared the set for filming.

The scene was about Estelle picking a magical herb, and she was magically light as a feather. It would be a visual delight, but such a scene challenged an actor’s movements in the air and also the steadiness when they landed.

“It’s alright.” Jessie smiled, and suddenly, a growl traveled in the air—someone’s stomach was growling.

The young woman immediately covered her stomach with mortification. Her stomach was reminding her of her skipped lunch.

“What’s wrong? Did you not take lunch?” Julian asked with a frown.

“I try not to eat too much when I have wire stunts.”

Just then, Lexie rushed over with a cup. “Jessie didn’t eat at all. All she had was water. Tell her that it’s unacceptable!”

At that, Julian turned to his assistant. “Get her something to eat.”

“I can still manage a little while longer. I have another scene soon.” Jessie stopped them at once.

“Never act with an empty stomach. Your health is more important. I’ll notify Vincent,” he said gravely before heading toward Vincent.

Jessie, on the other hand, was still processing what was going on. She was long used to not eating regularly, so it really wasn’t a big deal.

“Jessie, look at how nice Young Master Julian treats you.”

Jessie felt pretty touched by his gesture as well.

Sure enough, Vincent gave her a half-an-hour break, and Julian took her to the green room while his assistant brought some snacks and fruits over.

As Jessie didn’t remove any of her makeup, she ate daintily. Meanwhile, Julian, who sat across from her, admired the ‘view’. It was like watching an elf eat.

With every bite she took, her lashes fluttered, and her moist lips were tempting him to savor her.

Julian glanced at Jessie and walked up to her to look closely at her makeup. Jessie had lifted her head with her eyes closed so that the makeup artist could do her job. Once the makeup artist was done, Jessie opened her eyes, which looked as clear as spring water. However, no one seemed able to see through her by looking her in the eye.

“Is it done?” Julian asked the makeup artist.

“Yes.”

Jessie rose from the chair as she was already looking forward to the first scene with Julian.

“We’ll be going out now, Hazel.” Jessie waved her hand at the woman.

Hazel watched them leave through the mirror, a glint of jealousy flashing through her eyes.

Presently, Jessie was standing in her designated spot. It was a scene in the mortal world where she and the injured Demon Lord had fallen into. Here, the female lead would take care of him.

Following Vincent’s order, Jessie acted according to the script by fearlessly dashing toward Julian just as he pressed his hand against his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Are you alright? Does it hurt? Why did you save me?”

“Get lost! Don’t touch me!” Julian dismissed her and pushed her away before falling to one knee.

He depicted a noble and proud Demon Lord, yet his eyes were filled with rage, struggle, and murderous intent. All of those emotions played out through his dark and charming gaze.

On the side, Jessie was no longer in the frame. She watched Julian with admiration written all over her face, for the man’s acting skills were on another level.

Presently, Jessie was seated beside Lexie and drinking some tea to quench her thirst. Lexie asked, “Where’s the supporting actor, Jessie?”

Only then did Jessie realize she hadn’t heard anything about the supporting actor after so many days. Where is he? From what I read in the script, there’s an important supporting actor that I’m supposed to be in love with, and his character’s name is Atlas. However, I haven’t heard anything about him.

She couldn’t help but pat the female staff member beside her as she asked in a small voice, “Who’s the supporting actor?”

“I just learned that the original actor resigned from his role. After that, Vincent found Fabian Walters to replace him. If everything goes well, he’ll be on set in two days.”

Jessie and Lexie exchanged glances. They could hardly contain their urges to scream, for Fabian was an actor they admired.

“Oh, my gosh! Two of the hottest actors are going to battle it out in the movie. I love it! You’re so lucky, Jessie. You’ll be surrounded by two hunks!”

In the past, Jessie would’ve laughed out loud with her, but now, she reckoned that she had to restrain herself. Having said that, she was pleased to be in the same movie as Fabian.

While she was jolly, she caught sight of a pair of eyes staring at her. Julian was seated in a chair with the script in his hands. The two fans his assistant had placed beside him made his long wig flutter in the air. Meanwhile, his handsome facial features gave off an evil vibe. There was a reason the media praised him for being the most handsome actor in historical costumes, after all.

At this point, Vincent stopped shooting the scene. He then gave Jessie some instructions, saying, “You’ll be swept away by Hazel’s whip. Julian is worried that you’ll get hurt, so he’ll save you using a secret technique. After that, he’ll spit out a mouthful of blood. Although he doesn’t love you now, he still tries to protect you instinctively.”

Jessie listened to him attentively and looked forward to shooting the next scene.

After the scene where Jessie had been swept away, she watched Julian act on the side. Since there wasn’t any help he could use, his acting skills were put to test.

He had done a great job of portraying how dejected the Demon Lord felt while exhibiting an unrivaled power. In the end, he fell to his knees and spat blood. Hazel rushed over and supported his weight.

“Cut!” shouted Vincent, and they were done with this scene.

Meanwhile, Hazel wasn’t willing to let go of Julian’s arm. Noticing Julian’s displeasure, his assistant came over and told her to release him as Julian needed to reapply his makeup.

There was another shoot at night. The scene was about the young celestial servant—portrayed by Jessie—and Julian heading to an inn. They had to go somewhere else for the scene.

To make it easier to shoot the scene at night, they only took off their costumes and kept the wigs on their heads. Julian’s assistant helped him tie up his long hair. Clad in a black T-shirt, Julian appeared at ease.

Just then, he walked up to Jessie and said, “Let’s have a meal together.”

“Do we have time for that?”

“I ordered some takeout. The food will be here soon.”

Although Julian was a seasoned actor, he still found the scene challenging, especially since Jessie was watching him from the side. Therefore, he was told to reshoot the scene repeatedly, which was unlike him.

Soon, Vincent realized it was because Jessie was at the scene, so he told his assistant to ask her to leave the place.

After Jessie was gone, Julian successfully wrapped up his part.

“Let’s call it a day, Vincent. All of us are exhausted.” After Julian was done shooting the scene, he asked Vincent to let everyone get off work.

“Alright. Fabian will be here tomorrow. We still have more than ten scenes to shoot here.”

Everyone returned to their room to get some rest. After a tiring day, they were elated that they finally got off work.

Jessie returned to her hotel room and took off the wig. Once she was done showering, she directly slumbered off.

What she wasn’t aware of was that she had forgotten to have the supper that a certain man had prepared for her.

Lexie told her about it the next morning, and Jessie regretted falling asleep so soon the night before.

“Julian takes good care of you, Jessie. He basically buys you three meals a day now, which makes my job easier.”

After a pause, she continued, “By the way, Fabian is on set now. I saw him earlier. Wow! He’s so handsome and tall. What’s more, he looks like a considerate guy, just like the Immortal Lord in the movie.”

“Oh, I remember now. I have to shoot some scenes with him today.”

“You can do it, Jessie.”

“Alright, stay right there.”

Julian’s chest heaved visibly. Beneath the water, Jessie’s knees pressed against his abdomen gently.

The warm water seemed to be causing his desire to rise within him. His Adam’s apple could be seen bobbing through the lens.

After they were done with the scene, Jessie was helped out of the bathtub. On the other hand, the man was stiff as it wasn’t appropriate for him to get up now. Realizing something, Vincent stifled his laughter and ordered, “Alright, all of you, please leave this place first.”

Jessie changed into a new set of clothes, and a staff member blow-dried her hair. She would be shooting the next scene with the supporting actor, Fabian. As a War God from the mythical world, Fabian came from a prestigious background. On the other hand, Jessie’s character lived a tragic life, and her parents were no longer with her in the movie. Since she had lost all of her spirituality, she didn’t even have a place in the mythical world. It was the War God who took her in and let her be a young celestial servant in his palace.

The young celestial servant was in love with the War God, for he was the only one who would give her warmth. No one was aware that her biggest dream was to marry this War God, who was way out of her league.

In the scene, the young celestial servant snuck out of the place when the Demon Lord wasn’t paying attention. Before she could meet the War God, she was mocked and bullied by people from the mythical world. Although she did her best to resist, she was still thrown to the ground. The War God happened to arrive and lend her a hand.

“I’m willing to die with my master!” Even though Jessie was terrified, she was determined to stay by her master’s side. Death wasn’t something she was afraid of.

“How foolish you are!” the actor sneered. Although Jessie had lost all of her spirituality, she could still use some spells, secretly performing a hand seal by waving her hand.

The next instant, the actor’s face was replaced by horror. He was tangled up in cables, to begin with, and he was forcefully pulled backward. It was as though he had been swept away by an immense force in the scene.

Jessie was still holding Fabian in her arms. At this moment, the lens focused on her face. She lifted her head and turned to look at the person from the mythical world who had been cast away. Disbelief was written all over her face. Then, she looked at her hand and fell into a dazed state.

“Alright, it’s great. There’s one thing I’d like to point out, Jessie. You have to hold Fabian tighter.” Vincent was someone who strived for perfection. However, the moment he finished speaking, Julian, who was watching from the side, suddenly let out a cough. Vincent turned to look at him and realized his intention.

“We’ll do it again, Vincent.” Jessie was completely fine with it. Easy! I’ll just do it again.

Fabian felt stiff all over his body. Just as he was ready to get up, Jessie pressed him back down on the floor with a smile. “We have to do it again. Don’t go away.”

Fabian had no choice but to lie back down. With a smile, he asked, “Am I heavy? Do your legs feel numb?”

After opening the door, Jessie lifted her hefty hem and got into the car. At this moment, she was still clad in period costumes, so she looked like a young woman who had traveled through time. It was aesthetically pleasing.

Meanwhile, Julian was also swathed in historical costumes as he was languidly seated on a chair with his eyes closed. With his tall build wrapped in black clothes, he truly looked like a powerful monarch from ancient times.

Jessie observed his face and couldn’t help but think that this man was still deathly attractive even when he was asleep.

“What are you doing here?” Although the man never opened his eyes, he knew she was there.

“I’ve brought you some fruits. Do you want some?” Jessie asked with a smile as she held out the fruits.

“No.” The man turned her down with his eyes still closed.

“Are you tired? Can I get some rest in your car?” Jessie batted her eyes.

“I’d like to be alone.” The man spoke in a dispassionate voice and still never bothered to open his eyes.

Jessie was a tactful person, so she never pushed her luck upon hearing that. She put on a smile and replied, “Alright, I’ll stop bothering you. I’ll ask Fabian whether I can get some rest in his car.”

After she finished speaking, she put down the fruits and intended to leave. Just as she was about to get out of the car, the man was heard asking in a muffled voice, “Do you love spending time with him so much?”