Director Evans, greeting the staff with a newfound energy, walked excitedly back into the studio. "Alright, let's get to work!" he shouted. "We're taking another one!"
The crew, who had been filming the same frustrating scene for days without a single good take, were all feeling depressed and burnt out. Seeing their director suddenly so animated left them completely confused.
"What's gotten into him? Did Julian Croft agree to do the scene himself?"
"Probably not."
"Then why is the director so excited?"
While they were whispering, the assistant director brought Peter in. "This is the new stand-in," he announced. "Come on, let's get him dressed."
The crew members finally understood, but their hopes weren't high. Looking at Peter's young face, they figured his acting experience was probably nonexistent. The makeup artist and costume designer exchanged skeptical glances. This was likely just another failed attempt, another waste of time. They thought this silently, but they got to work.
Peter was quickly surrounded. After a while, he had taken off all his clothes, leaving him in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs. For a sex scene, the makeup wasn't for the face, but for the body—highlighting muscle definition and ensuring the skin looked perfect under the harsh lights.
On the other side of the studio, Vanessa was also making preparations. She had already auditioned with a dozen different stunt doubles for this one scene, and the experience had been draining. The quality of the stand-ins had been abysmal; a few were so unprofessional they ignored the director's instructions and acted on their own impulses. The process had made Vanessa, who had mentally prepared herself for the role, become resistant and wary. After all, this was a full-body sex scene with complete strangers. But after some gentle persuasion from Director Evans, she had finally agreed to try one last time.
Half an hour later, the crew, lights, and cameras were all in position. Although Peter and Vanessa had both read the script, Director Evans took the time to walk them through the story's emotional beats one more time.
The plot of Desire, Betrayed was not complicated. A young female student, Jasmine Wang, and her classmates decide to become amateur spies to serve their country. Their target is a ruthless intelligence chief named Emerson, played by Julian Croft. Jasmine, played by Vanessa, is tasked with seducing him so they can assassinate him. But this simple premise was layered with metaphors, and the three crucial sex scenes were the key to it all. Without them, the profound emotional shift between Emerson and Jasmine would be lost, and the audience would never understand their complex, tragic relationship. This was why Evans was so obsessed with getting them right. Without these three scenes, the story wouldn't even be true.
After explaining the plot, Evans sat in front of the monitor. "Get familiar with each other first," he instructed. "Adjust to the situation."
After all, they were complete strangers about to perform an act of incredible intimacy on a massive scale. A brief moment to connect was necessary. Vanessa, trying to relax, glanced at the handsome young man beside her and let out a long, quiet breath. At least this one is handsome, she thought.
Peter, too, was trying to calm his nerves. He looked at Vanessa, who wore stockings and a short skirt for the scene, her charm almost overwhelming. He took the initiative and held out his hand. "Peter, hello."
Vanessa didn't refuse, briefly shaking his hand with her slender fingers. "I'm Vanessa. Hello." In this world, she was just starting out. To get the chance to work with such industry giants, she had agreed to take on this incredibly demanding role. The two exchanged a few more stilted, polite words, like old friends who hadn't seen each other in years but had nothing to say.
Meanwhile, Evans was taking a moment to look over Peter's resume. His eyes widened when he saw it. Peter had never filmed a sex scene in his life. How did he have the guts to even audition? But the director's posture was already relaxed. He would know after they tried the scene. If Peter could achieve even half of the effect from the storyboards he drew, it would be a massive success. Besides, he had no other options.
"Alright, before we start," Evans said, giving Peter a few final words of warning, "I want you to follow your storyboards. Don't hold back. I hope your first sex scene ends successfully."
Hearing that this was Peter's first sex scene, Vanessa, who had just managed to relax, suddenly tensed up. She looked at Peter in shock. His first time? Is this a joke? And what about Evans' strict standards? He'd rejected seasoned stunt doubles but was letting a complete newbie try? Could this possibly work?
A wave of suspicion washed over her. She suddenly doubted this whole situation. Was this kid arranged by one of the investors to take advantage of her? After all, it was a full-body sex scene. That kind of thing happened all the time in the industry—producers arranging extra kissing or sex scenes just to get their hands on an actress. It was commonplace.
But then she reconsidered. Peter had been so careful and professional in front of the assistant director. And he didn't seem to have any powerful background. It probably wasn't that...
Vanessa pushed the thoughts away. She was an actress. On set, the director's word was law. Even if she was being taken advantage of, she had to endure it.
But still… Peter was a handsome guy. Even if it was a setup, she thought with a flicker of dark humor, it didn't seem like she was getting the short end of the stick.