Chapter 26: CH 26

Lu Zhi Wei looked at the “Lamborghini $5 discount voucher” she had in her hand, silent.

Letting out a soft snort of laughter, she was successfully pissed off to the point of laughing.

She didn’t expect it, she really didn’t.

This blasted system even dared to put a discount voucher into the prize pool!

You’re such a big system but you’re so stingy!!

Is this reasonable, isn’t it outrageous!!!

At this point, she didn’t know if Lao Wu’s words were more despicable or if the system was more despicable.

Thinking about it another way, Lao Wu was also part of the system, so it was the system that was despicable.

Lao Wu was much calmer: 【Life is like a box of chocolates, there are surprises everywhere.】

“……”Please read at jiulian lian . wordpress . com

Lu Zhi Wei: “This is a surprise that life can’t bear.”

She looked at her hand, almost in tears: “My luck is too terrible. I worked so hard to complete the missions, but all I got was a discount voucher……”

Lao Wu reminded her: 【It’s a Lamborghini voucher, you’re one step closer to a Lamborghini.】

Lu Zhi Wei was speechless: “…… One step closer, nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps left.”

Five dollars couldn’t even buy a fraction of a single Lamborghini tyre!

She kept the “Lamborghini $5 discount voucher”.

Forget it, something that involves the system like “the right to know everything” would certainly not be easy to draw.

Besides, Lao Wu had said there were good and bad things in the pool, she was responsible for the result.

If she had to blame someone, she could only blame her luck…… It was truly, truly horrible.

Lu Zhi Wei 【I won’t cry too long, probably just one or two months.jpg】

Lao Wu calmly comforted her: 【It’s alright, there are other chances.

【There are a bunch of other missions waiting for you, you’ll be alright once you save up some mission points.】

Lu Zhi Wei calmed down and collected her thoughts.

That’s right, there’s always next time. Good luck comes after misfortune, what if she got something good next time?

People had to have dreams in life, what if they got lucky and accomplished them!

After she calmed herself down, she opened the bag again, it was empty.

She tipped it upside down and shook it strongly. Aside from air, nothing else came out.

So she asked curiously: “How did you guys manage to put the prize into my bag, as if by magic?”

Lao Wu smiled slightly.

【It’s mysterious, isn’t it?】

“It is.” Please read at jiulian lian . wordpress . com

【Since it’s mysterious, then you shouldn’t be curious.】

“……”

Alright alright, it was another secret of the system’s. She wouldn’t ask.

Lu Zhi Wei was a person with limits. Stuff that she couldn’t be curious about, she would immediately put away her curiosity and do something else.

She went to lie on her bed, pulling on her blanket and wrapping herself in it.

The days were getting colder, and snow had fallen. It wasn’t hard to see that it would be tough to film in the coming days.

But they had no choice, Director Li was a person who demanded perfection. She demanded her shows to be filmed at actual locations, striving for accuracy and the feeling of realness, so that the actors could feel it too.

It was this sense of responsibility to her work that resulted in her reputation today, producing excellent film after excellent film.

In the original storyline, the male second lead Ying Xi Ze got popular thanks to 《Phoenix》.

Although the leading male character’s personality towards the end was really aggravating, but he was really good in the beginning. And with his good looks, he perfectly fulfilled the six words: “to make others love and hate”.

Lu Zhi Wei’s thoughts floated in the still air, moving from Ying Xi Ze to Sang Wan Ci.

Now that the female lead of 《Phoenix》 had unexpectedly become Sang Wan Ci, and Sang Wan Ci had even acted so well with such a beautiful appearance, her popularity would definitely explode as well once the show was aired.

Hopefully the result wouldn’t let down Sang Wan Ci’s efforts.

As for her, Lu Zhi Wei, a tiny character called Xiao He, she still had to work hard.

Thinking about Sang Wan Ci, she recalled the incident where she exchanged contact details with Sang Wan Ci.

She grasped her icy cold phone and opened WeChat.

Sang Wan Ci was quietly lying in her list of contacts.

Her profile picture was all white.

It wasn’t clear if she didn’t want to use another profile picture, or if she didn’t know what to use.

Just like the owner of the account, it was a mystery.

A female lead who didn’t follow the script, how could her motives be so easily deciphered?

Tapping into the chat.

Aside from the system’s notification that they were now friends, it was blank.

From the moment they added each other till now, there wasn’t even a single greeting, almost as if they were two strangers……

Lu Zhi Wei thought about it, feeling that it wasn’t very polite.

She had so clearly expressed that she really wanted Sang Wan Ci’s contact details, then ended up not saying anything after adding her.

It was eerily reminiscent of a scum male who didn’t know how to treasure what he had.

So she lay on her side as she stared at her screen.

Wondering what she should start a conversation with, without being too awkward or impolite.

After all, she had never chatted with Sang Wan Ci virtually before. Chatting through a screen, they couldn’t see each other’s faces and they could only guess at the other’s intended tone.

After a moment of contemplation, she opened her sticker collection.

No matter what, it wouldn’t be wrong to first send a sticker and act cute!

… Please read at jiulian lian . wordpress . com

Sang Wan Ci was currently sitting on the sofa and resting.

Her glistening fingertips gently rubbed her temples, attempting to alleviate her headache.

She had just called her father.

In the end, they had ended the conversation on a sour note, both parties angrily hanging up.

Her father not sending someone to drag her home was probably his biggest mercy to her.

Or perhaps someone was in the middle, trying to rescue their relationship.

Every time this happened, she would miss her mother tremendously.

If her mother was around, her father would definitely not force her like this.

Her headache lessened slightly.

She took out her phone and found a video saved in it.

A mother and daughter were sitting in front of a white piano.

The mother was gentle and the girl was naive and cute.

This was a video of her mother teaching her the piano when she was young.

The little girl in the video had the most radiant smile.

The her, at that time, really did like the piano.

The her, at this time, really hated the piano.

She hated the violin, the cello…… She hated every musical instrument.

Or rather, what she truly hated was the pressure from her father and his inability to empathise with her.

Her mother was one of the best pianists, why did her daughter have to become a world-renowned pianist too?

As an adult, could she not even make her own decisions on what she wanted?

Because she was his daughter?

The more she thought, the more upset she felt and she irritatedly turned off the video.

Next time, she would absolutely not take the initiative to call that man!

Turning off the video, she decided to watch something else, something cute to calm herself down, like cats or dogs.

Then she received the sticker that Lu Zhi Wei sent.

[Lu Zhi Wei]: 【Cute.jpg】

The sticker was a furry kitten poking its head carefully from the corner of a wall.

It was quite cute.

Seeing such a cute sticker, Sang Wan Ci’s mood lifted slightly.

Feeling better, she copied Lu Zhi Wei, sending her the same sticker back.

Lu Zhi Wei looked confusedly at the two identical stickers on her screen: “?”

May I ask, why did she suddenly copy me?

The female lead suddenly was so mischevious?

[Lu Zhi Wei]: ? Teacher Sang?

[Sang Wan Ci]: The sticker is very cute, I wanted to send it to teacher Lu as well.

“……” Please read at jiulian lian . wordpress . com

Fuck, she felt this woman’s cuteness again!

She could suddenly understand why everybody fell in love with Sang Wan Ci.

[Lu Zhi Wei]: Teacher Sang likes it?

[Lu Zhi Wei]: I have many other stickers, teacher Sang can always text me if you need any!

Sang Wan Ci was amused.

Look for her at anytime just for stickers?

Wouldn’t that too be inappropriate?

[Sang Wan Ci]: That’s not good, it’ll disturb you.

[Lu Zhi Wei]: It’s alright, it won’t disturb me

[Lu Zhi Wei]: Besides, if it’s teacher Sang, you’re welcome to disturb at anytime!

She saw the change and quickly put on her fan membership.

After she sent that message, she marvelled at how awesome she was at pretending to be a fan!

If she couldn’t earn money as an actress in the future, she could change careers and pretend to be a fan.

As long as the money was there, she would certainly be able to put all her emotions into it, the client would even cry and call bravo!

Sang Wan Ci raised an eyebrow, believing it.

—— She truly really likes me.

Her mood was even better.

The more this fan, Lu Zhi Wei, liked her, the more it proved that she was worthy of being liked.

It also proved all her hard work wasn’t in vain.

No matter what her dream was, as long as she was willing, she could do it well.

Just like Lu Zhi Wei said, she was so smart, being able to pass a scene in one take.

There would be a day when her father would acknowledge her and her work.

She looked at the words on her screen, replying with a smile.

[Sang Wan Ci]: Lu Zhi Wei, thank you.

[Sang Wan Ci]: I’m very happy to know you.

[Lu Zhi Wei]: I’m also very happy to know teacher Sang

Sang Wan Ci had given her so many kind firsts, letting her feel the warmth of the world again and again.

So this was from the bottom of her heart, she wouldn’t charge extra.

At the same time, she realised, Sang Wan Ci was a strict and meticulous person.

Strict to the point that she would seriously put a period at the end of each sentence even when chatting online.

She really lived up to her reputation as a woman who pursued perfection in every detail of her acting.

But…… it was quite cute.

Thinking about it, Lu Zhi Wei unconsciously smiled.

Another message jumped out on the screen.

[Sang Wan Ci]: Then, are we considered friends now?

Lu Zhi Wei froze for a moment, then came back to her senses and quickly replied.

[Lu Zhi Wei]: Teacher Sang is willing to be my friend?

[Sang Wan Ci]: Why would I not be willing?

[Sang Wan Ci]: You’re a good praiser, you’re a good person, you’re optimistic, plenty of people in the production crew like you.

Lu Zhi Wei rubbed her forehead embarrassedly.

—— No no, she wasn’t that good.

But she was truly happy to be able to make a friend.

Before she got the male protagonist halo, “making a friend”, these three words seemed like they would only ever appear in television shows and never to her.

At that time, she even came to terms with the fact that she would even die alone.

[Lu Zhi Wei]: I’m super happy to be able to be friends with teacher Sang!

Being able to be friends with someone was already a happy thing to her, could she be picky?

As long as it wasn’t a bad person, it was fine!

Seeing her reply, Sang Wan Ci fell into silence for a while before replying.

[Sang Wan Ci]: I’m also very happy I can be friends with you.

[Sang Wan Ci]: You’ve worked hard today, sleep early, goodnight.

[Lu Zhi Wei]: Okay, goodnight to teacher Sang too

[Lu Zhi Wei]: 【Byebye.jpg】

Sang Wan Ci looked at her screen silently.

The her who had been living with such a low sense of existence, it must have been tough.

But she could still live to this day, happier and more optimistic than anybody else.

How did she do it?

Sang Wan Ci suddenly felt curious about Lu Zhi Wei.

…… Please read at jiulian lian . wordpress . com

The day after Lu Zhi Wei finished all her scenes, the veteran actor who played the role of the female lead’s father also finished all his scenes and the production crew specially prepared a dinner to celebrate.

Lu Zhi Wei was supposed to leave that day, but Director Li kept her, saying that the dinner was to celebrate both the veteran actor and her finishing their scenes.

She was stunned, not feeling like she deserved it and that she was only stealing the limelight from the veteran actor.

She didn’t have any accomplishments, how was it worthy of celebration?

Director Li had the most say in the crew, and if Director Li said she was worthy, she was, so she stayed another day.

Entering the restaurant, Lu Zhi Wei consciously avoided the main table and sat in an inconspicuous spot.

She had attended celebration dinners in the past, but not many.

She would always sit at the most hidden spot during those dinners.

Besides, wherever she sat, nobody would pay attention to her.

When her transparent physique worked overtime, she would essentially be truly invisible. As long as she didn’t make a sound, she could eat and listen to others speak without being noticed at all.

It sounds nice and leisurely, but in reality, it was lonely.

Not being noticed meant that nothing she did would be seen.

She remembered the first time she joined a celebration dinner, everybody raised their glasses to clink them together. To join in the atmosphere, she hurriedly raised her glass of juice too.

In the end, her glass didn’t touch anything.

Everybody else could coincidentally avoid her and not feel anything at all. They wouldn’t feel awkward about her existence, just ignoring her while they chatted, laughed and drank with the people next to them.

At that time, the atmosphere was clearly pleasant, but she felt the stifling emotion of not fitting in.

The world treated her as if she was a snake or scorpion to be avoided.

Luckily, she adjusted quickly, learning to eat and drink alone without caring about anything else.

She wouldn’t raise her glass to toast others too.

They toasted amongst themselves, she would drink her drink, and they would all stay apart from each other.

Her thoughts returned to the present as she sat silently.

Because the experience of her transparent physique was deeply routed in her heart, she actually felt that this gathering had nothing to do with her.

Nobody would toast with her.

Nobody would notice her.

Nobody would ——

“Can I sit here?”

A familiar voice broke her reverie.

She raised her head to see Sang Wan Ci standing by her side, dressed in casual clothes, looking at her calmly and asking with her eyes if she could sit beside Lu Zhi Wei.

This was the first time Lu Zhi Wei had to deal with such a question.

She froze, as if her brain hadn’t reacted in time.

“There’s someone here?” Sang Wan Ci asked.

Lu Zhi Wei came back to her senses, her brain jumbled: “Ah, I, I don’t know, I just sat wherever……”

She rubbed her head: “I thought as long as it’s not at the main table, I could sit anywhere……”

Thinking about the fact that Sang Wan Ci was the main lead, Lu Zhi Wei pointed toward the main table: “Teacher Sang, you’re an important actress, you should ——”

Sang Wan Ci sat down by her side.

Lu Zhi Wei mumbled: “Sit there……”

Sang Wan Ci’s expression didn’t change: “The main table should be left for the seniors in the crew and Director Li. I’m just a newcomer, it’s very appropriate for me to sit here.”

Thinking about it, there were a lot of veteran actors in 《Phoenix》.

It could totally be considered a big production.

“Besides ——” Please read at jiulian lian . wordpress . com

Sang Wan Ci looked at her slowly, her eyes quiet and mysterious, as if they could draw someone in.

“I want to sit with you.”

Such a sudden sentence.

Paired with that face, Lu Zhi Wei was immediately hooked.

She didn’t know what to say, staying silent for a moment before she “complained” in her heart to Lao Wu: 【Lao, Lao Wu, look at her!】

Lao Wu calmly said: 【I’m looking.】

Lu Zhi Wei, who had a grand total of zero love experience, was dumbfounded: 【Is this counted as flirting with me?】

Lao Wu, who also had a grand total of zero love experience: 【I don’t know, why don’t you ask?】

【……】

Lu Zhi Wei: 【Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to give an equally useless answer.】

How could she dare to ask such a narcissistic question.

Forget it, people shouldn’t be so narcissistic.

Sang Wan Ci definitely couldn’t like her now.

The female protagonist who wouldn’t follow the script, she would never let people be able to see through her.

Lu Zhi Wei hung her head low, not knowing what to reply.

Sang Wan Ci totally didn’t think there was anything wrong with what she said. It was only when she saw Lu Zhi Wei not speaking, that she looked at her doubtfully.

And saw that the tip of her ears were slightly red.

“?” Sang Wan Ci couldn’t help asking. “Are you feeling hot?”

Lu Zhi Wei was confused: “Ah?”

Sang Wan Ci used her eyes to indicate her ears: “Your ears are all red.”

Lu Zhi Wei immediately covered her ears, her gaze darting away.

After she covered her ears, the world quietened down.

The increasing speed of her heart pounding in her chest, on the other hand, was exceedingly noisy, not letting her ignore it.

Truly, someone who was beautiful just needed to be a little ambiguous. No matter what she said, everybody’s heart would race.

What’s even worse is that Sang Wan Ci wasn’t doing it on purpose.

Flirting with people unknowingly was the most lethal!

She secretly looked in Sang Wan Ci’s direction, realising she had an innocent expression on: “What’s wrong, are you not feeling well?”

Lu Zhi Wei put down her hands defeatedly and decided to grace her with another rainbow fart: “It is a bit warm. It must be our teacher Sang’s angelic looks that made the temperature so hot!”

Sang Wan Ci: “……”

She originally thought that after seeing so much of it on Weibo, she would be immune. But she didn’t think that when rainbow farts were blown right in front of her, she still couldn’t take it.

Rainbow farts, they really were very exaggerated.

This time, it became Sang Wan Ci not saying a word.

The two of them sat there in an odd atmosphere.

After a while. Please read at jiulian lian . wordpress . com

“Teacher Lu really knows how to fart rainbows.”

“I see them quite often.”

“…… Look at other stuff next time.”

“Mm, okay……”

It was a completely awkward conversation.

Lu Zhi Wei kept screaming in her heart: Oh my god, why is it so awkward!

She definitely wouldn’t randomly fart rainbows to Sang Wan Ci in the future!

It’s clear at one glance that this child hadn’t gotten used to it yet!

At this moment, Ying Xi Ze arrived, looking around.

He saw the main table, and he also saw Lu Zhi Wei and Sang Wan Ci sitting together.

So he ran straight to them and sat next to Lu Zhi Wei without another word.

“Hi, Lu jie.

Good evening, teacher Sang.”

The odd and awkward atmosphere was dispelled thanks to the two quick greetings.

Lu Zhi Wei looked at him surprisingly: “Why are you sitting here too?”

Ying Xi Ze answered as if it was obvious: “Teacher Sang is the female lead. The female lead is sitting at this table, then should I, the male lead, also sit at this table?”

Lu Zhi Wei: “……”

It was reasonable, there was nothing to argue.

So when Director Li came by, she immediately saw Lu Zhi Wei with the female lead sitting to her left and the male lead sitting to her right.

Director Li: “?”

What are these children doing?

The two leads didn’t want to sit at the main table, but were running about amok?

Sang Wan Ci had always been humble, and she really wanted to let the senior actors sit at the main table.

She also really wanted to sit by Lu Zhi Wei’s side.

Because Lu Zhi Wei had been too lonely in the past.

She wanted to put in some effort to accompany her and keep her from being lonely.

At least, so Lu Zhi Wei didn’t have to be lonely like before because of her sense of existence was low.

The atmosphere between the crew was good.

The seniors were all understanding and gracious towards the juniors.

Seeing Sang Wan Ci insist, and with such a good reason, Director Li didn’t force the issue either, waving her hand: “Alright, alright, you guys do what you want.”

So Sang Wan Ci and Ying Xi Ze sat righteously beside Lu Zhi Wei.

Lu Zhi Wei was sitting in the middle watching the drama, when the system dropped another mission onto her.

Lu Zhi Wei: “……”

Can you not do it like this every time?

【Mission issued: In front of the male supporting lead Ying Xi Ze, put some food on female lead Sang Wan Ci’s plate to show the deep relationship between the male and female lead.

【System reminder: No time limit for this mission.】

Lu Zhi Wei: “???”

Deep relationship?

Is there that sort of thing between Sang Wan Ci and myself?

This system, don’t come up with something where there is none!

But she calmed down and thought about it.

Compared to the missions in the past, this mission was actually a bit cleaner……

It was just taking food for her, and it was just once too, she didn’t even need to feed Sang Wan Ci.

She could do it, she could!

The food arrived and Director Li was talking to the veteran actors, toasting them and celebrating.

Lu Zhi Wei quickly raised her glass, she was finally not left out.

And then it came to eating and chatting.

Lu Zhi Wei surveyed the dishes, then used a new pair of chopsticks to take some broccoli for Sang Wan Ci.

Sang Wan Ci looked at the broccoli on her plate, then at Lu Zhi Wei.

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

She didn’t understand what this action meant.

Ying Xi Ze was looking at them as he ate.

Only to see Lu Zhi Wei calmly say to Sang Wan Ci: “I know you like eating broccoli.”

Sang Wan Ci’s eyebrows relaxed: “Thank you.”

Lu Zhi Wei truly was her fan, she even knew this.

Lu Zhi Wei secretly sighed a sigh of relief.

Thank god she read up on Sang Wan Ci and knew Sang Wan Ci liked broccoli, or else she might have taken something Sang Wan Ci didn’t like to eat……

Then today would be the day of her funeral.

Ying Xi Ze suddenly felt like they had a very good relationship.

But this atmosphere didn’t feel quite right.

Chewing on some vegetables, he felt as if he was an audience sitting by the side cluelessly.

【System judgement: Mission complete.

【Mission point +1】

Lu Zhi Wei was happy, she could finally relax and eat her dinner.

But Ying Xi Ze decided to be mischievous: “Jie, take some food for me too, I want some carrots.”

Lu Zhi Wei looked at him: “?”

Ying Xi Ze called “jie” again, then smiled at her.

Lu Zhi Wei was about to leave the crew tomorrow, he had to fully cherish this moment when he could still be naughty to his sister.

Lu Zhi Wei suddenly thought of her sister back at home, Lu Si Jiao.

If Lu Si Jiao wouldn’t forget about her, perhaps she would be like Ying Xi Ze, sticking to her and calling jie……

The relationships in her life were severely lacking because of her previous transparent physique.

She couldn’t help but sigh and take some julienned carrots for Ying Xi Ze, almost as if she was his sister: “Our Xiao Ying must grow up well.”

Ying Xi Ze’s mouth was sweet: “Ah, got it, thank you jiejie.”

Sang Wan Ci sat by the side, watching.

Although she didn’t know why Ying Xi Ze was acting like this, but she could understand something from Lu Zhi Wei ——

Lu Zhi Wei seemed to…… always respond towards being called jiejie?

…… Please read at jiulian lian . wordpress . com

Lu Zhi Wei left the crew.

She returned to her small rented apartment, and if she wasn’t trying to audition for roles with Wen Yao, she was just staying at home.

She would either be reading her notes from the production, watching analysis videos on acting or knitting Ying Xi Ze’s birthday present.

Five days later, she placed the hat into a carefully selected box and mailed it to Ying Xi Ze.

He received it that very day.

And then he unwrapped the present in his room happily.

The moment he opened it, a red knitted hat entered his vision.

The knitting was dense and the workmanship was obvious, it was clearly done by a skilled person.

It was also very comfortable when worn, completely not unfashionable at all.

Ying Xi Ze was very pleased, he refused to take off the hat, wearing it for hours on end.

Beside the hat, there was a letter.

In the letter, there was a small card, wishing him beautiful blessings for his future, as well as the meaning of the red hat.

It was genuine and moving.

Especially the last line, it was especially touching, particularly to Ying Xi Ze.

[Jie knows you like Lamborghinis, so I’ve prepared a surprise for you to help you in your Lamborghini dream. It’s at the bottom of the box]

Ying Xi Ze excitedly flipped the box over and found another letter, opening it ——

Lamborghini $5 discount voucher.

Ying Xi Ze: “……”

He picked up his phone silently to call Lu Zhi Wei.

“Comrade Lu Zhi Wei, could you please explain, where did you get this discount voucher from?”

Lu Zhi Wei joked: “I found it when I was out picking up rubbish.”

Ying Xi Ze: “?”

Lu Zhi Wei: “The next time I pick up rubbish, I’ll call you along. We can definitely rely on both our hardworking hands to pick up a Lamborghini!”

Ying Xi Ze: “???”

Please stop Lu Zhi Wei, all the bamboo shoots on the mountain are going to be claimed by you[1]!

[1] This is a funny saying, and it’s a play on accents in China. There’s a saying 多损啊, which basically means someone is being too much, and it’s typically teasing a person. If someone with an accent says it, it becomes 夺笋啊, which is to claim/take bamboo shoots. So this sentence is essentially teasing that Lu Zhi Wei’s idea is too much/overboard.