Chapter 119: A New Way to Decompress

Chapter 119: Chapter 119: A New Way to Decompress

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Irene was stunned. Who could it be at this hour? She got up, walked to the door, and looked through the peephole. Her pupils dilated instantly—standing outside was none other than Loren.

Loren had a faint scent of rain on him and was carrying an insulated bag. He smiled as he walked in. "You didn’t reply to my messages, and your phone was busy. I guessed you were still stressed about the filming, so I drove over."

He placed the insulated bag on the table, opened it, and took out the food containers. "I know you forget to eat when you get busy, so I brought your favorite Spanish fried rice and some hot soup."

Irene looked at the steaming food on the table, deeply touched.

"How did you know I was staying here?" She sat down, picked up a spoon, and opened the lid. The heat from the food rose up. It was clearly freshly made.

Loren sat opposite her, his gaze falling on her bloodshot eyes. His tone was full of sympathy. "I asked Vera. You’ve been under a lot of pressure lately, haven’t you? Your voice sounded so tired over the phone. Did the filming suspension today make you even more anxious?"

That one sentence struck a chord with Irene.

The frustration, anxiety, and sense of powerlessness she had felt over the past few days could no longer be contained under Loren’s gentle gaze.

She put down her spoon and slumped over the table, her voice muffled. "The progress is a complete mess, and the budget is overspent. The investors have already pressured me twice. I’m so afraid I’ll mess this up."

Loren didn’t speak. He simply got up, walked over to her side, and gently patted her back.

He stayed with her quietly like that until Irene’s emotions gradually calmed down. Then, he lifted her shoulders and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You’ve already done very well. Filming always encounters accidents. The rain wasn’t your fault, and the equipment issues weren’t your fault either."

"But I’m the director. All the problems should be solved by me." Irene sniffled, her eyes full of stubbornness.

Loren cupped her face, his tone serious. "Directors aren’t supermen. You need rest, and you need someone to share the burden. I came this time to stay with you for a few days, to help out. Even if it’s just cooking for you or listening to you vent, it can make you feel a little more relaxed."

His gaze was gentle and firm, like a beam of light illuminating the gloom in Irene’s heart.

Irene looked at him, the anxiety in her heart gradually replaced by warmth. She leaned in and kissed his lips. Loren’s body stiffened, then he took the initiative and deepened the kiss.

The air in the room gradually warmed up, and the sound of rain outside the window became a gentle background noise.

Loren picked up Irene and walked toward the bed, his movements gentle yet carrying an irresistible strength. As they shed each other’s clothes and their skin touched, all the pressure and anxiety vanished, leaving only their breathing and heartbeats.

That night, there was no rush of filming schedules, no worries about budget overruns, only the warmth of two hearts clinging tightly together. Loren used his own way to give Irene the most solid comfort, letting her know that no matter how difficult the road of filming was, she was not fighting alone.

The next morning, Irene woke up in Loren’s arms.

Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains. One second Irene was still dazed, the next she immediately threw off the quilt and pulled out a piece of clothing from the closet to put on.

Loren was clearly awakened by the commotion. Still lying in bed, he asked gently, "Up so early?"

Irene saw his defined abdominal muscles. In the process of getting dressed, she couldn’t help but reach out and touch them. They felt really good.

"The sun is out. I need to work hard to catch up on the two days of progress we lost. I’m heading to the set first. I’ve booked the hotel until the weekend, so you can rest a bit more."

Irene moved quickly, getting ready in the time it took to say a few words. She walked over to Loren, ready to give him a goodbye kiss. As soon as her hand touched his shoulder, he pulled her into the bed.

"I’m resting alone?" Loren lowered his voice, holding Irene tightly, his demeanor revealing his reluctance to let her go.

Irene touched his waist and abdomen, also feeling quite reluctant. "Darling, I really like your way of decompressing. Maybe we can do it again this weekend once the scenes here are finished."

"My great director is truly heartless." Loren buried his face deep into Irene’s collarbone, refusing to let go.

Irene helplessly indulged his actions until her phone rang.

The goodbye kiss still happened as promised.

Before nine o’clock, when Irene arrived at the set, the sunlight had already bathed the entire closed road.

The props team was doing final equipment checks, and the backup cameras were neatly placed under the rain shelter. Matt and Charlize had already changed into their costumes and were discussing the details of today’s shoot with the driver.

The air was filled with the aroma of coffee and breakfast sandwiches, and everyone’s face wore a look of relief now that the rain had cleared.

Vera walked over quickly, carrying a breakfast bag, a sly smile on her face. "Boss, good morning! I brought you hot coffee and a sandwich. Knowing you’d be in a good mood today, I added an extra layer of cheese."

Irene took the breakfast bag, the familiar aroma lingering at the tip of her nose, and thanked her with a smile. "Nice, thank you."

She unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite. Just as she was about to head toward the monitoring area, Vera grabbed her arm.

Vera stepped closer, her eyes falling on the side of her neck. She lowered her voice and teased, "Director, that little mark on your neck isn’t very easy to hide. It seems Mr. Loren’s comfort last night was quite effective? Looking at you today, you’re like a completely different person compared to yesterday."

Irene subconsciously raised her hand to cover the side of her neck and looked down at her collar. A hickey was lying bare just above the right side of her collarbone.

She had been in such a hurry to leave that she hadn’t noticed this at all.

This spot was very conspicuous. Everyone must have seen it. No wonder everyone’s gazes were a bit strange when she arrived today. She had thought it was just because the weather had cleared up and everyone was in a good mood.

She coughed lightly and said, pretending to be calm, "Don’t talk nonsense. I was just bitten by a mosquito."

Vera laughed even harder. "That must be one impressive mosquito to pick such a hidden and ambiguous spot right on the side of your neck?"

Irene felt a bit embarrassed by her words and gave her a light push. "Go get busy. Stop gossiping here."

After finishing breakfast, she picked up the walkie-talkie, cleared her throat, and said in a firm and composed tone, "Attention all departments, do a final check of the equipment and vehicle condition. In ten minutes, the car chase scene officially begins! Action!"

With the rain cleared, the two days of progress delayed by the heavy rain were caught up through everyone’s united efforts.

Everyone seemed to have mustered all their strength, determined to do a good job.

The subsequent filming had far fewer NGs. Apart from some objective reasons—after all, the car chase scene utilized a large amount of traffic, which caused a few NGs—the other scenes went incredibly smoothly.