After Lu Si Jiao finished having her nonsensical thoughts, she patted her face.
She was clear-minded now.
Nothing was determined yet, Lu Zhi Wei didnât say that she likes girls, how could she keep thinking down this route?
Forming a business CP was also for the popularity, it was reasonable.
Sang Wan Ci, whom every show wanted as a female lead, was already a very good friend for being willing to work with her sister who was a small supporting actress.
ââ Lu Si Jiao, wake up, stop thinking about it!
She shook her head and added Ying Xi Zeâs WeChat, then changed the battle venue to WeChat.
[Lu Si Jiao]: Thatâs settled then, if my jie has any updates on her love life, you have to tell me immediately!
Ying Xi Ze couldnât understand
[Ying Xi Ze]: But why are you so gossipy about your sisterâs love life
[Ying Xi Ze]: I donât see you so enthusiastic about caring about her health?
Lu Si Jiao really felt like he was dumb.
[Lu Si Jiao]: Physical health matters, emotional health matters too!
[Lu Si Jiao]: Arenât I just afraid my jie would fall in love and fall out of love then have nobody to cry to?
[Lu Si Jiao]: If I donât even know who sheâs dating, how do I console her?
Ever since she started contacting Lu Zhi Wei again, she realised that Lu Zhi Weiâs circle of friends was very small, to the point that she could count all of Lu Zhi Weiâs friends on one hand.
It seemed like she had lived alone as well in the past, with nobody to chat to or open up to.
It was really pitiful.
Now that she had finally come to her jiejieâs side, she would shoulder the responsibility of being a family member.
To care for her, to love her, to be the support behind her, wasnât this all expected?
Even if she couldnât do all of it, the least she could do was to find out she was upset as soon as possible and let her have someone to confide inâ¦â¦
Sigh.
She was really worried as a meimei.
Truly, didi couldnât make it, he wasnât considerate enough.
Itâs fine, it doesnât matter even if the didi canât make it.
After all, her jie wouldnât be with Ying Xi Ze in the future.
As long as she found someone who would treat her well.
â¦â¦Â Please read at jiulian lian . wordpress . com
Since they formed the business CP, even if it was more towards showing off their friendship, Sang Wan Ciâs frequency of posting Weibo updates was increasing.
Although sometimes there were still selfies and posts to promote ãPhoenixã, most of it all had something to do with Lu Zhi Wei.
As if she had come down with the âshe would die early if she didnât keep mentioning Lu Zhi Wei on Weiboâ sickness.
It was to the point that her fans were all conflicted, happy yet suspicious.
[@01:56]: Baby, if you keep doing this, Iâll really be suspicious that ãPhoenixãâs male lead is Lu Zhi Wei and not Ying Xi Ze. Isnât your production crewâs direction a bit biased?
[@I want to eat seaweed and fried chicken]: Wuwu why donât I have a friend like this. God, please give me one too, my criteria isnât high, itâs good enough as long as theyâre like Sang Wan Ci
[@Do you see me caring about you]: God: Sheâs out of production, change to another one. Or why not you go wash up and sleep
[@Poverty has enveloped me]: Baby, tell mom the truth, has your heart been moved? Mm? ãDomineering stare.JPGã
Sang Wan Ci had to admit, some netizens were really smart.
At least, smarter than Lu Zhi Wei.
Because even the netizens could see she had fallen, but Lu Zhi Wei couldnât.
Not only could she not see it, she even foolishly came over to tell her: Thank you.
After Lu Zhi Wei sent out that âthank youâ message, her whole person calmed down.
But she was also a bit lost.
She was very grateful Sang Wan Ci had put in so much effort to help her, but she was also very apologetic that Sang Wan Ci had to take on so much suspicion.
This possibly was the most precious friendship?
She didnât know if she was unique, she had never seen Sang Wan Ci be so good to others before.
But even if she had, what could Lu Zhi Wei do.
Wan Ci was just that kindâ¦â¦
Sighâ¦â¦
She held her phone, sighing.
After that, she pulled herself together.
So what if Sang Wan Ci would treat others like this in the future? At least she only treated her like this now!
How many people in the world could form a CP with the person they had a crush on? Not many.
This was such a rare opportunity!
Besides, being able to form a CP meant that she really was different from other people in Sang Wan Ciâs heart.
At least she was different from the people who used a CP with Sang Wan Ci just for popularity.
Thinking about it, she felt better.
Since she was different from the rest, then she had the courage to take the initiative.
On the other end, Sang Wan Ci was looking at the two words speechlessly: ââ¦â¦â
Lu Zhi Wei, youâre really not clever.
She even wanted to share some of the intelligence from that fan with Lu Zhi Wei.
â¦â¦Â Please read at jiulian lian . wordpress . com
Lu Zhi Wei went with Wen Yao to meet ãSymphony of Dreamsãâs Director Liu Zhao.
She sat in the front passenger seat, twisting her head to the side to look outside the window.
Lu Zhi Wei looked at each passerby on the street, their role indicators showing above their heads.
Most of them had a pale yellow colour.
That was the indicator of someone who had no relationship to the main protagonists.
They could live their lives peacefully and calmly.
In the past, she had hoped for a life like that.
A normal life.
But she didnât expect that her life had become normal with more attention, but this attentionâ¦â¦ wasnât just a normal amount.
She would never have imagined that she would become the male protagonist in an idol drama.
But the only thing worth rejoicing about was that she wasnât the sort of mesmerising, mystical male protagonist who could charm the female protagonist the moment they met.
Of course, in the original plot it was.
The main reason it had changed was because Lao Wu changed the program and adjusted the determination to avoid a second occurrence of her appearing as a âgeâ.
Just as she was thinking about it, a grey colour appeared amidst the sea of yellow.
It was a faint, foreign colour.
It was a colour she had never seen before.
The car flew past and the scene disappeared.
She didnât even have a chance to take a second look to see if she had mistaken it.
Her eyes widened as she pressed her face to the window, looking backwards.
She couldnât see anything.
It was like it was a hallucination.
Wen Yao looked at her and asked: âWhat is it, Zhi Wei jie? Did you see someone?â
Hearing Wen Yaoâs voice, Lu Zhi Wei returned to her senses and sat back.
She rubbed her eyes and patted her face, feeling like she was a little more awake.
She smiled at Wen Yao: âNothing.â
She probably had really seen it wrongly.
After all, that colour was too dim. Dim to the point that it would be a miracle if someone else could see it.
She felt like her eyes werenât so impressive.
â¦Â Please read at jiulian lian . wordpress . com
Lu Zhi Wei and Director Liu Zhao met in a teahouse.
They had specially arrived ten minutes early.
The waitress brought them to the private room. Once the door opened, it revealed a few people already sitting inside.
But the VIP Liu Zhao wasnât there yet.
Aside from the male lead who was busy with another appointment, and the second female lead who hadnât arrived yet, the rest of the crew had reached.
Lu Zhi Wei thought to herself: Looks like everybodyâs early.
She politely greeted everybody and habitually glanced at their yellow halos before those disappeared.
Everybody was friendly and harmonious.
Until the third female lead Jin Man Wen appeared.
âMiss Lu, hello.â
Hearing this clear, gentle voice, Lu Zhi Wei figured it would be a very pretty girl.
She turned to look, her eyes widening slightly.
Not because of this short-haired girlâs looks.
But because Jin Man Wenâs indicator was a deep yellow.
ââ The sign of a supporting character.
The indicator flashed for a few seconds then disappeared.
Lu Zhi Weiâs heart filled with suspicion.
Whatâs going on, how was she able to bump into a supporting character here?
What was even more outrageous was that Jin Man Wen didnât even have a name in the original plot!
Jin Man Wen raised her hand, good-naturedly reaching out to shake her hand: âItâs our first time meeting, Iâm Jin Man Wen. I really like you, Iâve watched all your shows.â
A friendly and warm air came towards her.
Lu Zhi Wei didnât know why, but she thought of Qiu Luo.
She understood it. Because the world had an accident, a lot of peopleâs roles changed, just like how she became the male protagonist from a transparent entity.
It must be the case.
As a mature male lead, she had learnt to find explanations for herself.
Lu Zhi Wei thought: I can climb such a big rank difference to become the âmale protagonistâ, the female protagonist can ignore the plotline, why canât other people climb a small rank difference to become a supporting role!
Lu Zhi Wei collected her thoughts and smiled, grasping Jin Man Wenâs hand: âHello, thank you for liking me. Iâve also watched Miss Jinâs shows, your acting is good.â
Hearing Lu Zhi Wei say that she watched her shows, Jin Man Wen immediately became happy.
âIf you have time, letâs exchange pointers. I think you really act well, Iâd like to learn from you.â
It was the first time Lu Zhi Wei had been praised like this, she was a bit surprised: âNo no, Iâm not worthy of teaching anybody yet.â
Jin Man Wen immediately held her arm: âDonât be humble, everybody can see how good your acting skills are, or else how would you have gotten on the hot search? You need to believe in yourself.
âCome, sit by my side, okay?â
âMm?â
âOkay, just sit here.â
ââ¦â¦â
So Lu Zhi Wei blurrily got pressed into the seat next to Jin Man Wen.
She wasnât sure, but she had an odd feeling.
Jin Man Wen treated her nicely, but she felt like something wasnât right. She couldnât put her finger on it.
She looked for Lao Wu to help her analyse it.
Lao Wu thought about it: ãIf youâre the original male protagonist Qiu Luo, this attitude from Jin Man Wen would basically mean she likes you. But Iâve already fixed the program, the system didnât receive any reminder of an incorrect judgement, so youâre a woman in her eyes.
ãAs for whether she likes you now or notâ¦â¦ I really canât tell. Maybe she just wants to be friends with you.ã
Following ãPhoenixãâs broadcast, and Sang Wan Ci and Ying Xi Zeâs efforts to interact with her, she was definitely much more popular than before.
Although she had only been a small supporting character, but the business potential was showing itself.
With popularity and value, there would naturally be many people she had never met before trying to become her friend.
Lu Zhi Wei: ãOh, thatâs fine then.ã
Making friends was fine, she liked making friends.
As for liking her, forget it, she already had someone in her heart.
With the intention of making friends, Lu Zhi Wei started chatting with Jin Man Wen, the air light.
When talking about acting skills, Lu Zhi Wei didnât hesitate to recommend Meng Lian Yuâs acting lessons on a variety show.
âAlthough there arenât many episodes, but itâs really insightful. After youâve watched it, you can use it in your own acting, itâs definitely useful! Go watch, you wonât lose anything by watching it!â
Jin Man Wen: ââ¦â¦â
Why did she feel like there was a salesperson sitting beside her?
She quickly put on a smile: âOkay, Iâll go take a look, thanks for the recommendation.
âSeeing you recommend it, do you like Meng Lian Yu a lot?â
Lu Zhi Wei nodded: âMm, I really like her!
âHow about you?â
Jin Man Wen: âI like Teacher Ji Feng.â
Lu Zhi Wei: âOh I know, theyâre both friends.â
Jin Man Wen: âThatâs right, theyâre friends, and theyâre both single until now. Oh right, speaking of which, Teacher Lu, do you have a boyfriend?â
The topic changed too quickly, Lu Zhi Wei was a bit lost: â?â
Jin Man Wen suddenly lowered her voice: âOrâ¦â¦ A girlfriend?â
Lu Zhi Wei immediately felt like her heart had been stabbed.
She laughed awkwardly: âAh, no, Iâm single.â
Jin Man Wen smiled: âIâm single too haha. Workâs too busy, so I donât have time to date. You too, Teacher Lu?â
Lu Zhi Wei casually lied: âMm, pretty much.â
The main reason was because the person she liked was too outstanding, she didnât even know if there would be a chance to date.
As the two of them chatted, Director Liu Zhao arrived.
Everybody in the room stood up to welcome him.
Liu Zhao was wearing a cap, with his hair in a small braid behind. His looks were average, with a clean face.
He didnât stop walking, waving a hand to indicate for everybody to sit down: âNo need to be formal.â
He sat down and wanted to get straight into it, but he noticed someone missing when he looked around the room. He turned to ask his assistant: âZhou Ling Ling isnât here yet?â
Zhou Ling Ling, the second female lead for this show, was from the same company as Lu Zhi Wei.
Lu Zhi Wei had been surprised when she first found out that she was cast as the second female lead.
From what Wen Yao had said, Zhou Ling Ling had been supported by the company until she had become arrogant. She normally looked down on the smaller actors in the same company.
Thus, as the âbig sisterâ of Sheng Yue, it was inconceivable that she would be a supporting actor for a smaller actress from the same company.
But Wen Yao suggested another possibility.
Maybe Zhou Ling Ling didnât even know who the female lead was, and she couldnât be bothered to find out.
Liu Zhao had wanted to bring up his requests for the show once everybody arrived.
So be it if the male lead couldnât make it because of another work appointment, he could just be informed over a call.
Zhou Ling Ling, who had nothing on recently, why couldnât she come?
If it wasnât for the fact that her acting skills were passable for the second female leadâs role and that she had resources behind her, he wouldnât even want her in the crew.
Liu Zhaoâs face showed his displeasure as he asked his assistant to call her and hurry her up.
The assistant walked out in a panic and called Zhou Ling Lingâs manager.
Lu Zhi Wei watched all of it quietly.
Wen Yao wasnât around, so she gossiped with Lao Wu.
She said: ãDirector Liu probably doesnât really like Zhou Ling Ling.ã
Lao Wu: ãBe a bit more confident, remove âprobablyâ.ã
Lu Zhi Wei amicably changed it: ãDirector Liu doesnât really like Zhou Ling Ling.ã
Lao Wu: ãSpeaking of which, I think you should be a bit more concerned whether Zhou Ling Ling will find trouble with you.ã
In the original plot, Zhou Ling Ling was also a supporting female character who had some chances to show her face.
She liked the male lead Qiu Luo, and she fought with Sang Wan Ci on occasion.
But the reason they fought wasnât only because of Qiu Luo, but because the radiant and shining Sang Wan Ci could always easily steal the attention away from her, making her inflated ego upset.
In other words, she was fighting with the female protagonist halo.
Now that Qiu Luo didnât have his halo anymore, the male protagonist halo now could be considered the âsecond female protagonist haloâ.
Nobody knew how the second female protagonist halo could affect a supporting character like Zhou Ling Ling.
Lu Zhi Wei started praying in her heart: Please be a good person, please be a good personâ¦â¦
Donât let her encounter a second Qiu Luo.
So be it if he was greasy, but he was even unsavable.
This child was really exhausted.
Everybody waited silently for ten minutes before Zhou Ling Ling arrived.
This was the first time Lu Zhi Wei was seeing Zhou Ling Ling in person.
Zhou Ling Ling was a pretty young lady, with a clean face. She looked like a good girl next door if she didnât speak.
Her only flaw was that her gaze was too sharp. She was used to lifting up her chin and speaking down to people. There was no arrogance that made it seem like she disdained all living beings, there was only an unpleasant meanness.
Liu Zhaoâs unhappiness was clearly written on his face.
But Zhou Ling Ling wasnât worried: âDonât be angry Director Liu, arenât I here now?â
Liu Zhao really wanted to scold her, but thinking about it, he gave up.
One more sentence was one more second wasted. He still had another appointment after this, he had no time and he didnât want to waste everybody elseâs time too.
Besides, with Zhou Ling Lingâs personality, itâs not like she would wake up just by someone scolding her.
If he scolded her and she left, he would still have to call her after. It was tiring thinking about it.
âDonât be late next time, itâs a waste of time.â Liu Zhaoâs tone wasnât pleasant. âGo sit down.â
Zhou Ling Ling didnât rebut him or care about it at all, sitting down without any remorse.
She was only here to work together with a big director and get a good reputation. She had also heard there were a lot of important scenes for the second female lead in this show; Liu Zhao was still considering if he wanted to make it a show with two female leads.
It was enough that there were plenty of scenes, the others werenât important. She didnât even bother to see who was the one who managed to get the female leadâs role.
No matter who it was, it was fine as long as it wasnât someone who was less popular than her.
She couldnât stand being a supporting character to small actors.
The company had spent so much money and resources to support her, not to let her be a support to someone else.
Oh right, and the other criteria was that it was fine as long as it wasnât Sang Wan Ci.
She didnât like that woman.
After sitting down, Zhou Ling Lingâs gaze swept across everybodyâs faces as she scoffed coldly in her heart: Hmph, none of them are more popular than me.
Then her eyes slowly landed on Lu Zhi Weiâs face.
She knew Lu Zhi Wei, Sang Wan Ciâs recent CP.
It was a bit of a shock, Sang Wan Ci had been willing to form a CP with someone.
And it was even a small actress from their company with no reputation.
Butâ¦â¦ What was Lu Zhi Wei doing here?
What was she acting as?
Liu Zhao, sitting beside her, had already started listing his requirements for the actors.
She didnât interrupt, keeping this question for later.
Liu Zhaoâs basic requirements for the actors were simple.
âGo learn a musical instrument.â
Everybody was shocked.
Liu Zhaoâs face didnât change: âThis is a show about music, a good portion of the show will be scenes with music. As the people in the show, itâs a basic requirement to be able to play the instruments. I also hope youâll really play the instruments, I donât want it to be an act that the audience will expose.
âYou donât have to learn too much, each of you has an instrument, just learn that.
âFor example, Zhou Ling Ling is the second female lead, the second female lead plays the piano, so Ling Ling will learn the piano.
âZhi Wei is the female lead, the female lead is the violin, so go learn the violin.â
Hearing that Lu Zhi Wei was the female lead, Zhou Ling Ling froze, looking at Lu Zhi Wei.
Lu Zhi Wei accidentally met eyes with her.
Lu Zhi Wei: ââ¦â¦â
Thereâs killing intent!
Liu Zhao didnât notice the atmosphere between them.
He raised a finger, saying to the room: âI only have one request. Before we start shooting, all of you must learn your own instrument, is that clear?
âItâs fine as long as you can play it. It doesnât need to be super professional. Of course, if you can make it super professional and get a certificate, Iâm happy to hear it, congratulations on learning a new skill.â
Everybody laughed.
Only Zhou Ling Ling couldnât laugh.
The fire in her eyes was almost burning Lu Zhi Wei alive.
When Liu Zhao stopped talking, she raised her hand and pointed at Lu Zhi Wei: âDirector Liu, what role did you say she was?â
ãItâs here.ã Lao Wu said.
ãItâs killing intent.ã Lu Zhi Wei replied.
Everybody in the room paid attention, a âtime for gossipâ expression on their faces.
âMm?â Liu Zhao looked at her. âThe female lead, why?â
â?â Please read at jiulian lian . wordpress . com
Zhou Ling Ling: âSheâs the female lead?! Who made the decision!â
She didnât get the female lead, how could an unpopular small actress step on her head?!
Was the person who made the decision blind, couldnât they see who was the one who could really bring in viewers for the show!
Liu Zhao was calm: âMe.â
Zhou Ling Ling suddenly went silent: ââ¦â¦â
Liu Zhao patted the back of her chair: âDo you still have something you want to say? Hold onto it for a while, Iâm not done yet.â
Then he turned around and continued discussing the filming with the rest of the room, completely ignoring her anger.
ãNot bad, this director is protecting you.ã Lao Wu said.
Lu Zhi Wei loosened a breath in relief.
Lao Wu worried: ãBut whether your company protects you or not, it remains to be seen.ã
Lu Zhi Wei was not like Qiu Luo, with someone in his family backing him.
Thinking about it, Lu Zhi Wei was worried, but she quickly became optimistic again: ãNo worries, weâll see as we go. I have a backup plan anyway.ã
Lao Wu didnât understand: ãWhat backup plan?ã
Lu Zhi Wei: ãXiao Ying asked me to go to their company in the past. If Sheng Yue really wants to suppress me for Zhou Ling Ling, then Iâll pack up and go work with Xiao Ying. If I canât work with Xiao Ying, then Iâll work with Wan Ci.
ãThere are so many management companies, there is bound to be one who will take me, right?ã
Lao Wu paused, then smiled: ãMm, youâre right. My daughter has so much potential, sheâll be hotly sought after for sure.ã
With a backup plan in place, Lu Zhi Wei wasnât afraid anymore.
She calmly endured Zhou Ling Lingâs fiery eyes as she listened to Director Liu.
She didnât know how badly Zhou Ling Ling wanted to rip her apart right now, she only knew she had to learn the violin.
âOkay, weâll wrap up here. I called you guys over to let you familiarise yourself with each other. You guys can create your own chat groups and make friends first.
âWhether you learn it on your own or find a teacher, itâs up to you, as long as you can play the instrument at the end.â
Liu Zhao got up, looking at his watch.
âThanks for coming, everyone. I still have something to attend to, Iâll be leaving now. If you have anything to ask, look for my assistant. Bye.â
âBye, Director Liu.â
âBye bye, Director Liu.â
âBye bye.â
The farewell greetings came one after another.
Lu Zhi Wei already had an idea when she heard him say âfind a teacherâ.
She decided to take the initiative again!
Instead of speak of the devil, now the devil came even if you thought of him.
She had just been about to look for Sang Wan Ci when she called her.
Having just finished a work meeting and having your crush call you, nobody would be able to be unhappy.
So she quickly said bye to everybody and walked off with her phone, not even looking at Zhou Ling Ling.
Jin Man Wen didnât have time to ask for her contact either.
Zhou Ling Ling stood there, feeling like Lu Zhi Weiâs smile as she was leaving was unbelievably irritating.
Arrogant and haughty, it made her particularly uncomfortable to think about it.
ââ Lu Zhi Wei, what right did you have to become the female lead!
â¦Â Please read at jiulian lian . wordpress . com
âWan Ci,â Lu Zhi Wei put on her mask and hat as she walked out of the teahouse. âWhy did you suddenly call me?â
âI just finished filming and recalled you were meeting the director today,â Sang Wan Ci said. âHow is it, was it successful?â
Lu Zhi Wei was very happy Sang Wan Ci paid so much attention to her.
Her smile suddenly became genuine: âMm, it was successful. Director Liu didnât say much, he just wanted us to go practice an instrument.â
Sang Wan Ci doubtfully hummed: âPractice an instrument?â
Lu Zhi Wei explained: âDirector Liu said he wishes that when weâre filming, weâre really playing the instrument and showing that we can play it, not just putting on an act for the audience.â
Sang Wan Ci understood, saying warmly: âBeing responsible for the audience is a good thing.â
Lu Zhi Wei replied lightly: âMm.â
She looked at the road in front of her.
The bright sunlight shone down as the breeze and her crushâs gentle voice brushed against her ear.
Her heartbeat suddenly increased.
She couldnât help but call out: âWan Ci.â
âMm?â
âI have a small question,â she asked. âCan you play the violin?â
She already knew the answer before she asked.
In the original plot, it was written that not only did Sang Wan Ci know how to play the violin. She also knew how to play the piano, the guzheng[1], the harmonica and more.
There were so many she felt like Sang Wan Ci was too capable.
But thinking about it, she was the female protagonist in an idol drama, how could she not be capable?
But if she continued being this capable, people who wanted to be the female lead in an idol drama probably would need to know how to fight with eighteen different weapons.
Then she heard Sang Wan Ci reply: âI can.â
ââ Yeah! Step one complete, the fish is about to get hooked!
She silently rejoiced as she said: âThen can you âââ
âI can.â
Sang Wan Ci replied immediately, not even waiting to hear the rest of the question.
âI finish filming in July, I can go look for you once my break starts. Iâll teach you how to play the violin then.â
Lu Zhi Wei was dumbfounded: â?â
How did she know what I was going to say?
âThatâs decided then. Iâm going to go eat first.â
âBye byeâ¦â¦â
âMm, bye bye.â
After hanging up, Sang Wan Ciâs lips curved upwards slightly, a hint of victory in her smile.
ââ Good, the fish has taken the initiative to get hooked.
[1] å¤ç â So the guzheng (Wikipedia here) is a stringed instrument thatâs in the zither family, but is not the guqin (Wikipedia here) which is typically the âzitherâ thatâs in ancient novels. There are a few differences between the two. The guzheng has more strings (typically 21) and the player usually tapes curved fingerpicks to the thumb, index and middle fingers of their right hand to pluck the strings. The guqin has seven strings and is usually played with your bare fingers. Guzheng typically has more female players while the guqin is usually associated with male players. If you have read/watched Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (Mo Dao Zu Shi ééç¥å¸), the instrument Lan Zhan plays is a guqin.