Chapter 36: CH 36

Lu Zhi Wei didn’t know what was going on either, getting these sort of scripts with no good endings right from the start.

If it wasn’t for the fact that the background setting of the stories was different, she would even think that God was hinting at her own future.

Living for the female lead, dying for the female lead.

Thankfully they were living in a lawful society.

Lu Zhi Wei collected her thoughts and entered the chat with Sang Wan Ci.

[Wan Ci]: Mm, please take care of me.[1]

[Wan Ci]: I might come over to practice my lines with you in the future.

[Wan Ci]: If you need anything, you can look for me anytime too.

[Lu Zhi Wei]: Of course, of course

[Lu Zhi Wei]: Alright, go to sleep early, goodnight

[Wan Ci]: Goodnight.

She put down her phone and turned off the lights.

Tomorrow was going to be another good day at work.

…… Please read at jiulian lian . wordpress . com

Director Guo and Director Li had one thing in common, they had strict requirements for the script reading session. No actor could be missing.

Under her guidance, 《Questioning Deity Sect》’s script reading was going smoothly. The director and cast were all gelling together well.

Then, it was time to try on the outfits.

Sang Wan Ci’s role was as a small disciple in the sect at the start. There wasn’t a lot of difference between her outfit and those of the other disciples, she mainly relied on her looks to stand out.

After she left the sect, her outfits started to get flashier, with both plain and refined, as well as luxurious and ornate ones. It was almost as if she was playing a dress-up game.

Lu Zhi Wei was the opposite.

Her role at the start was of the most prestigious sect leader’s daughter. Her outfits and hairstyles naturally had to be more eye-catching and elaborate than the other disciples, so as to show off her status.

After she turned to the demonic side, she would go on to wear red predominantly and exude more of a seductive vibe rather than the lively, clean look from before.

Although she didn’t have as many outfits as the female lead and second female lead, it was eye-catching enough.

Sang Wan Ci couldn’t help but pause when she saw Lu Zhi Wei come out in a deep red, gauzy outfit.

Lu Zhi Wei was very pale.

Her long, slender fingers were half hidden in the deep red sleeves, enhancing her paleness and making it look as white as fresh snow on a winter day.

Lu Zhi Wei’s original, comfortable appearance was incredibly attractive after the makeup artist had worked her magic.

With a flutter of her eyelashes, there was a sudden, subtle hint of coquettishness.

It was almost like if she just crooked a finger, she would be able to ensnare any heart.

Sang Wan Ci was unable to look away.

It was the first time she realised that Lu Zhi Wei was actually such an attractive person.

Guo Hui was incredibly pleased by Lu Zhi Wei’s outfit transformation after turning to the demonic side.

There were still adjustments to be made in the early phase, she wanted the outfit to fulfil the character’s naivety and cleverness.

She also wanted the stylists to be bold and daring with their creativity, not limit themselves to the same styles used in other dramas.

Xianxia[2], xianxia, it definitely relied on creativity that was different from the rest.

“Your attitude just now was excellent, act like that in the future and it’ll be good.”

Guo Hui reached out and patted Lu Zhi Wei’s shoulder.

“What’s your name again? Lu Zhi Wei, right? Ah, I’ve heard Director Li talk about you before. Work hard, I have high hopes for you.”

Lu Zhi Wei was stunned and quickly thanked her.

Good lord, was this the power of the male protagonist halo?

Just a small role as a maidservant could let a director remember her and even mention her in front of other directors.

This was something she could never have dreamed of.

Lao Wu didn’t deny that this was part of the halo’s effect, but he also didn’t deny her hard work.

【You worked hard, so the halo could exemplify your excellence.

【When you’re thanking the halo, you should really be affirming yourself most of all.

【Work hard, silly daughter. The future holds so much potential, walk on the path to fame!】

Lu Zhi Wei was pleased by all the flattery: 【Alright, no problem!】

Don’t even talk about the path to fame.

Even if it was a path of diamonds that cut her feet at every step, she would be willing to walk!

She looked around and found Sang Wan Ci staring directly at her.

So she lifted her skirt and walked over carefully to ask: “How is it, does it look good?”

Sang Wan Ci’s gaze moved along with her steps, staying on her.

After hearing this question, she nodded lightly.

“Mm, very good-looking.”

This shouldn’t be a transparent entity.

She should be a glittering star in the sky.

“Lu Zhi Wei, red’s your colour.”

“Is it? That’s good then, I was worried I couldn’t do this look justice.”

“No, it’s pretty, very good-looking, nobody’s more suitable than you.”

Lu Zhi Wei was overjoyed hearing that: “Wow, our Teacher Sang is praising me so highly, it seems like I’m really very good-looking.”

Sang Wan Ci nodded seriously, as if she was affirming a very important matter.

Lu Zhi Wei’s gaze grew gentle, and she wanted to say “thank you”, but she held it in, pressing her lips together to avoid seeing Sang Wan Ci frown.

She held onto Sang Wan Ci’s fingers lightly: “Wan Ci is good looking too, no matter which outfit you’re wearing.

“Our Wan Ci is the prettiest kid on the whole set.”

But Sang Wan Ci picked up a lock of her hair and shook her head, saying gently: “Still a little less than jiejie.”

In her eyes right now, Lu Zhi Wei was a glowing star.

A bright, sparkling star was always bound to attract attention.

A short distance away, Qiu Luo was holding his arms out and letting the stylists arrange his outfit.

He turned his head slightly to see both Sang Wan Ci and Lu Zhi Wei’s gentle expressions.

Their fingers were loosely hooked together, in such an intimate gesture……

That flirtatious atmosphere was practically greeting his face enthusiastically!

What’s even worse was that Sang Wan Ci smiled at Lu Zhi Wei.

Obediently and sweetly.

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He really wanted Sang Wan Ci to smile at him like that too.

—— Don’t get angry.

Qiu Luo turned his face away, refusing to look at that warm, sweet, yet heartwrenching scene.

He consoled himself: It’s fine, Sang Wan Ci definitely doesn’t like Lu Zhi Wei. She just treats her as a sister, just as a sister. It’s Lu Zhi Wei who’s using her status as a woman to get closer to her easily, yes, that must be it……

……

Lu Zhi Wei was in her room, reading her script and analysing the character.

The little junior sister was the most prestigious sect leader’s daughter in everybody’s eyes.

But that was only in the other disciples’ and elders’ eyes.

Only the sect leader and two elders knew the truth; the real sect leader’s daughter was someone else.

The little junior sister was just an expendable tool to take the place of the sect leader’s daughter and suffer tribulations in her place.

The real sect leader’s daughter was weak and sickly when she was born, and she was destined to live a hard life with plenty of trials and hardship.

Someone offered up an ancient technique for the sect leader who loved his daughter dearly: Fate exchanging.

Find a girl who was born in the same hour, on the same day, same month, same year as his daughter.

This girl needed to be healthy and fated to live well.

When he found this girl, he could then use the ancient technique to forcibly swap their fates.

This technique didn’t happen immediately, but over the span of years. It would require sixteen years of slow and arduous changing before it was completed.

But this ancient technique went against the heavens and was considered a forbidden spell.

Every cultivator knew that using forbidden spells had the possibility of incurring heaven’s wrath on them.

But the arrogant and proud sect leader went ahead anyway.

What was so scary about heaven’s wrath?

It’s just a few bolts of heavenly lightning, he just had to endure it.

His sect had so many magical treasures, there would certainly be a few that could help to block heavenly lightning.

Besides, even if heaven’s wrath was incurred, it would only be him incurring it, what was there to fear?

But his daughter was a different story.

At that moment, his precious daughter would be reborn with a successful, smooth life.

And as for the other, poor child?

She wasn’t important.

And the little junior sister was the poor child who was kept in the dark. Before the fate exchange was completed, she would live as the sect leader’s daughter in front of everybody’s eyes.

Because of the fate exchange, she was always very unlucky, meeting all sorts of danger.

She was tripped by the doorsill when she was young, and she would always encounter demons and beasts who would chase after her when she was grown.

And the female lead was just so coincidentally the person who would save her from all those incidents.

So in her eyes, the female lead was her saviour, an extraordinary person.

She was the stars, the moon, the most special existence.

Lu Zhi Wei rubbed her chin and sucked in a breath.

There was a problem that had troubled her for a few days now.

Speaking truthfully…… Why did she feel there was something wrong with this “the most special existence”?

“It can’t be……” Please read at jiulian lian . wordpress . com

She couldn’t help but exclaim.

“That sort of relationship where she gets jealous when she sees senior sister being nice to others, puts aside her soft bed and gets into senior sister’s hard bed and hugs her to sleep every night???”

Why did everything have such an odd aura to it!

Lao Wu raised an eyebrow: 【Mm…… Isn’t it?】

Lu Zhi Wei scratched her head.

Is this little junior sister too inappropriate, or am I misunderstanding things due to a lack of experience in friendships???

She decided to ask the director tomorrow.

She had to understand this question to properly play the role.

She had seen the work of the scriptwriter of 《Questioning Deity Sect》 before.

This scriptwriter was someone who loved to include subtext, including the relationships of the minor characters.

Some characters had never said a single “like” or “love” in the entire drama, but the audience could still feel their burning and passionate feelings through their actions.

It was even more touching than spoken words.

This scriptwriter also liked to include fake decoys.

In 《Questioning Deity Sect》, there were a few other disciples that were close to the little junior sister aside from the female lead.

The little junior sister did have a confession scene to someone in her own sect, and she even confessed to the wrong person, but in the script, it didn’t say who the person she really wanted to confess to was.

So Lu Zhi Wei didn’t dare to make any assumptions.

She would just clarify things tomorrow.

The next day, Lu Zhi Wei went to find the scriptwriter.

The scriptwriter pushed her glasses up and smiled: “Yes, it’s exactly as you’re thinking.”

Lu Zhi Wei said in her heart: Aha.

And then the scriptwriter pulled on her hand and said: “But you can’t tell anyone.”

Lu Zhi Wei: “?”

The scriptwriter said slowly: “When the audience is watching the drama, they will view it from everybody’s angle.

“The little junior sister’s feelings are hidden in the drama. Nobody else is inclined that way, so they just viewed her as a younger sister who’s sticking to an older sister. They won’t think of it that way.

“Not telling the rest of the cast is to protect this secrecy so they can act more naturally. The audience won’t be able to deduce it that quickly when viewing it from their perspective.

“When the show is finished and the audience starts examining the details, it’ll be an easter egg.”

She said excitedly: “I like giving the audience easter eggs.”

Lu Zhi Wei: “……”

That’s clearly a smoke grenade.

The scriptwriter smiled and patted her shoulder: “Get close to her honestly and openly, like her secretly and carefully.

“Work hard, I hope you can bring these feelings to the character.”

“Alright, don’t worry, I’ll try my best.” Lu Zhi Wei said solemnly.

…… Please read at jiulian lian . wordpress . com

They started filming the scenes when the female lead was still a disciple.

When she was a disciple, of course, the little junior sister couldn’t be absent.

Sang Wan Ci wore the sky-blue robes of the sect’s disciples, her soft hair loosely let down with a single band adorning it.

She tilted her head slightly to look at Lu Zhi Wei, who was filling her sleeves with apples.

Lu Zhi Wei had more hair ornaments and her outfit was on the cuter side. When she moved, the dangling tassels and pendants would move as well, it was quite satisfying to watch.

Feeling someone’s gaze on her, Lu Zhi Wei looked around and smiled when she realised it was Sang Wan Ci.

Sang Wan Ci smiled back.

Qiu Luo who had observed it: Envious, jealous, sour!

With their props assembled, the two of them sat with the other actors on a futon.

Before they went to film their scenes, Sang Wan Ci heard Lu Zhi Wei call out to her softly: “Shijie[3].”

Sang Wan Ci froze.

Suddenly hearing someone older than her calling her “jie“……

It was quite weird?

With a hint of amusement in her eyes, she bit back a smile as she looked at Lu Zhi Wei: “What is it?”

Lu Zhi Wei hugged the apple props in her sleeve as she looked at the road under her feet: “Oh, nothing, I just wanted to call you beforehand to let you get used to it.”

Lu Zhi Wei was worried she was affected by it so she consoled her: “It’s okay, you don’t have to feel embarrassed. You calling me jie and me calling you shijie, it’s two different matters.”

Sang Wan Ci: “……”

She wasn’t embarrassed either……

The first scene was of the disciples sitting quietly in class.

The little junior sister that Lu Zhi Wei was acting as was a disobedient student.

Sitting behind her senior sister, she secretly took out an apple and prepared to bite down on it.

Before she took a bite, she stretched out her neck to look at Qing Xin[4] elder in front.

Thinking about it, she stretched out a hand and poked her senior sister’s waist.

“Shijie.” She called out in a low voice.

Sang Wan Ci, acting as the senior sister, turned her head slightly.

From Lu Zhi Wei’s perspective, her body was well-toned with a good bone structure. She looked every bit like a main character who was going to accomplish great things.

The little junior sister saw her senior sister turn and she quickly said in a quiet voice: “Shijie, sit straighter, I want to eat my apple.”

Senior sister: “……

“You should pay attention.”

She was like a rule-abiding student.

—— If not for the fact that she straightened up after saying that.

The little junior sister was happy: “Hehe, thank you shijie.”

The disciple next to her saw it and said quietly: “Little shimei[4], I want to eat one too.”

Another disciple agreed: “I want one too, I want one too.”

The little junior sister rolled her eyes at the two of them and used her power to split the apple, saying: “Why didn’t you say so earlier, I only brought one.

“Tell me beforehand next time, I can stuff two more in my sleeves if I try!

“Here, don’t get caught.”

In the end, before the apple even made it to their mouths, Qing Xin elder sent three spiritual darts towards them.

The three of them collapsed to the ground, calling out in pain.

The scene was light-hearted and funny.

Qing Xin elder held a hand behind his back as he called out the three of them: “Instead of attending class properly, you’re eating apples! The three of you, go sweep Zhao Yue altar now!”

He called on the female lead as well: “Qiao Jing, you go supervise them.”

“Understood, elder.”

The female lead stood up.

“Cut!” Guo Hui called for the cameras to stop, “the effect is pretty good.”

Sang Wan Ci and Lu Zhi Wei immediately went to the director’s side to view the shot.

It was a simple scene that didn’t need any expressive emotions.

It was one of the rare occasions Sang Wan Ci didn’t ask for a re-shoot.

But this time, her gaze unknowingly was stuck on her little junior sister.

On-screen, Lu Zhi Wei managed to portray the little junior sister’s innocence and liveliness without any flaws.

With the slight flutter of her eyelashes, she was charming, exuding cuteness everywhere.

Even her complaining when cutting the apple was cute.

She moved her gaze to Lu Zhi Wei, only to see that with the director’s permission, she was happily biting on the apple.

Seeing Sang Wan Ci look over, Lu Zhi Wei’s movements paused as she smiled and mouthed: Want some?

She shook her head.

Lu Zhi Wei’s mouth immediately became a round shape: Oh.

Then she continued to happily eat her free apple as she watched the screen.

Sang Wan Ci couldn’t help but look at her for another moment.

—— When did she become so adorable?

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The filming was very smooth.

Although Qiu Luo was a narcissistic person, but he was still an excellent male lead. His work ability wasn’t poor and he didn’t need anybody to worry about his performance.

What was frustrating was he couldn’t understand Sang Wan Ci’s many rejections, and he even liked to sprout many greasy pickup lines.

“Miss Sang, I bought a match today. What match? Our match made in heaven.[5]“

“……”

“Miss Sang, it’s such a nice day, do you need a handsome man to accompany you for a walk?”

“……”

“Miss Sang is really good-looking when you smile, you look exactly like my next girlfriend.”

“……”

Miss Sang, Miss Sang, Miss Sang……

Sang Wan Ci was finally driven to the limits of her tolerance, and she arranged to speak to him separately.

“Qiu Luo, I’m repeating myself again.”

Sang Wan Ci’s expression was bland, as if she had no interest at all in the man in front of her.

“I don’t like you, not now, not ever.”

“It’s alright, Miss Sang. There’s a term in the world called ‘smells delicious’.” Qiu Luo calmly brushed a strand of hair from his wig away. “I’m willing to wait.”

Sang Wan Ci stared at him icily: “There’s no need to wait, you’re not in my circle of consideration.”

Hearing that, Qiu Luo decided to push through and ask about her likes: “Then what is in Miss Sang’s circle of consideration? I’m willing to change for Miss Sang.”

Sang Wan Ci folded her arms and looked at him with a steady gaze.

“There’s no meaning in pestering someone. I don’t like you as a person, so I won’t like you no matter how you change.”

She didn’t get it.

Why did some people constantly seek after and try to forcibly obtain love that they couldn’t get?

Shouldn’t they leave after the other party’s intentions have been made known and not bother them?

Use that time to get rid of their feelings, why waste the time of two people?

To her, liking someone was a precious thing, it shouldn’t be wasted on someone who wouldn’t reciprocate.

Sang Wan Ci wasn’t interested in hearing his response, so she spoke again: “Go like another girl, you don’t have to waste your time on me.

“If you don’t have any other girls to like……”

“Then try the other gender.”

Qiu Luo: “?”

Sang Wan Ci said seriously: “We don’t have to hold on so tightly to our sexuality when dating, one more gender means one more choice.”

Qiu Luo: “???”

I like you, but you’re advising me to be gay???

[1] 请多指教 – This is a polite line/saying that basically means, I’m in your care, please take care of me, etc. I used “I’ll be looking forward to your guidance” in one of the earlier chapters, but I’ll switch as and when to fit context.

[2] 仙侠 – Broken down, the first word means immortal and the second means hero. Xianxia is a genre that basically talks about humans cultivating to achieve immortality while battling demons, demonic enemies etc. More supernatural than wuxia. More on it on Wikipedia.

[3] 师姐 – I’ll be using shijie when it’s in conversation/dialogue, and using “senior sister” when it’s a reference to them/the character.

[4] 师妹 – You might notice I added “little” in front of shimei here, and that’s because the dialogue is actually little junior sister. It’s possible there are other junior sisters that have numbers, like seventh junior sister, so that’s how I’ll translate moving forward. Again shimei in dialogue, junior sister when reference.

[5] 桑小姐，我今天买了个盒，什么盒？我们的天作之合 – I had to take a bit of liberty with this. The original translation would be: “Miss Sang, I bought a box today. What box? Our match made in heaven.” Because the word for box and match sounds the same, so he could make this play on words. Anyway, I think my version is actually pretty decent, I hope hahah. Let me know in the comments or in Discord if you got any similar pickup lines.