21-25

Chapter 21:Filming

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

For the entire duration of the flight, until they got off the plane, got on the car, and entered the production team, Xia Wanyuan behaved calmly. One could even say that she had a sense of propriety. The strange quietness contrasted greatly with her usual behavior and simply made Chen Yun uncomfortable.

But Chen Yun had to admit that Xia Wanyuan’s current state was much more delightful than before.

“Everyone has worked hard. This is the afternoon tea I ordered for everyone. Eat it before you work.” Ruan Yingyu smiled warmly as she distributed the cake to the crew.

Looking at Ruan Yingyu, who was surrounded and fawned over by the crowd in the distance, Chen Yun looked resentfully at Xia Wanyuan, who was reading her script calmly.

“Should we send something to the crew too?”“There’s no need. My reputation is so bad anyway, so others will only think that I’m imitating others and making a fool of myself if I send something over now. There’s no need to rush to find trouble.”

“…” It was rare for Xia Wanyuan to say something correct, let alone something so insightful. With that, Chen Yun gave up on the idea of sending gifts, but he still couldn’t stand Ruan Yingyu. “We are going to be suppressed by her forever.”

“As long as I act well, no one will care about that cake anymore.” Showing actual skills was always the best way to shut people up.

After reading the script, Xia Wanyuan felt that acting wasn’t difficult. Especially given that she was someone who had spent years trudging through the political quagmire of troubled times.

During that famous meeting where she was able to gain something without risking anything of her own, she dealt with mass forces, faced different people, displayed different personalities, and finally obtained the approval of the allied forces, taking down that critical city in one swoop.

Those wily old foxes all knew how to act. Moreover, they were truly ruthless.

And it was reality.

?????

Chen Yun stood at the side with a face full of question marks. ‘My dear Miss, are you really standing here talking about acting skills? If you had even the slightest bit of ability, you wouldn’t be criticized by the entire internet.’

He felt a little hopeless. It seemed that Xia Wanyuan had not become normal, but had become even more neurotic. Everything that had just happened was just an illusion.

“Haha, I haven’t seen you in a while. It seems that you’re getting more and more confident.”

Xia Wanyuan put down the script and ignored Chen Yun’s ridicule. Instead, she got up and went to the dressing room to change.

“Xiao Ruan, your performance just now wasn’t bad. You got into character very quickly. It’s just that you need to put in a little more effort to show Tian Ying Er’s naivety.”

“Okay, I understand. Thank you, Director. I will continue to work hard.”

Ruan Yingyu, who was wearing a long white dress, humbly thanked the director and crew. Her humble attitude made Director Yang nod in approval. In the entertainment industry, there weren’t many people with such good acting skills and modesty like her.

Especially when the second female lead of the production team was clearly a negative example. Director Yang’s head hurt when he thought of the rich character characteristics of the Heavenly Spirit Princess. In the future, if he had the means and money, he would definitely boycott the act of bringing funds into the production team!

Not only did the director have all sorts of thoughts in his mind, but the other members of the production team were also whispering in private.

“Sister Ruan is indeed a good person. It’s also great that she has good acting skills.”

“Of course, she’s definitely better than a fool like Xia Wanyuan. I think the Xia family is indeed bankrupt, look how low-key Xia Wanyuan is today.”“That’s right, that’s right. I almost didn’t recognize her when she entered the production team just now. She was too quiet.”

“Well, she’s already been demoted from the first female lead to the second female lead. With her acting skills, I think it’s hard for her to even be an extra.”

The cameraman was still babbling when he realized that his friend did not respond to him at all. Even the people around him had quietened down. He stopped talking in confusion and followed his partner’s gaze. Instantly, he was amazed by what he saw.

The woman in question was wearing a light purple gown with a dark-colored woven brocade belt that wrapped around her slender waist. In her hand was a lantern with a jade rabbit drawn on it.

Due to the need for the role, she wore a veil over her face, making her eyes look even more exquisite and lovely, like the most beautiful ink painting in the misty rain in Jiangnan.

Everyone was stunned for a long time, and they did not realize who it was until the stylist noticed that the clothes belonged to the Heavenly Spirit Princess. Holy sh*t! To think that she was so good at choosing clothes!

“Xia Wanyuan?!!” She couldn’t help but call out. Only then did everyone realize that this stunning woman was the very person they had been scolding for a long time.

“Director, I’m ready.” Xia Wanyuan’s rosy lips parted slightly. Her clear voice was like a stone that finally broke the silence.

Chen Yun, on the other hand, had a calm expression. After all, he knew about Xia Wanyuan’s beauty. What he was worried about were Xia Wanyuan’s idiotic acting skills. Forget it, it was fine if she could be beautiful. At the very least, she could receive less scolding. Chen Yun had already given up.

At that moment, Director Yang was the most delighted. As a director, he naturally had the most sensitive sense about the portrayal of a character. Xia Wanyuan made him truly understand what the original number one beauty, the Heavenly Spirit Princess, looked like.But thinking of Xia Wanyuan’s acting skills, Director Yang sighed. Forget it, he would just take more shots of her face and not shoot too many details which would only exemplify her bad acting skills.

“Alright, all teams, get ready for the second scene!” Director Yang shouted through the loudspeaker and everyone recovered from their shock.

“Damn, isn’t she too beautiful!”

“Let’s not talk about anything else. Xia Wanyuan’s face is simply too beautiful.”

That day, they were filming the scene where the Heavenly Spirit Princess and the male lead, Lin Xiao, met at the Lantern Festival.

In the original novel, the Heavenly Spirit Princess, who had been trapped in the palace since she was young, snuck out of the palace during a lantern festival. However, someone stole her purse when she was enjoying the lantern show.

During the chase, the male protagonist acted bravely for a just cause, causing her to fall in love at first sight. It was this scene that eventually led to the series of disputes later on.

“Okay! Gaffer, cameraman, take note. Action!”

At the director’s command, pedestrians started to move about on the streets that were filled with all kinds of colorful lanterns. The camera slowly zoomed in, and a light purple figure entered the camera.

That was the first time the little princess had left the palace. She was shocked by the commotion outside, so she looked around curiously at everything that she had never seen before.

Xia Wanyuan recalled the first time she had left the palace. She was somewhat afraid, but also somewhat restless. Like a child, she examined all the things in the world that she had never come into contact with.

“Quick, quick, pull the camera in and take a shot of Xia Wanyuan’s eyes!”

The camera that had been pulled far away was now focused on that pair of butterfly-like eyes.The camera that had been pulled far away was now focused on that pair of butterfly-like eyes.

With a veil covering her face, the camera could not catch her expression, so she could only rely on her eyes to show her current character’s mentality.

Meanwhile, the crew could see the innocence in those eyes. They were an entrancing combinationー hazy, curious, happy, and probing at the same time. The sadness of being trapped in the palace for a long time, and how she could only see the vast outside world occasionally could be seen and felt from her eyes alone.

“…”

Chen Yun’s eyes were about to pop out. Was this Xia Wanyuan?! Her acting skills had probably been remade ten thousand times in the Grand Supreme Elder’s furnace!

The scene changed.

A sneaky thief reached Xia Wanyuan’s side. Taking advantage of the crowd, he quietly took the purse from the little princess.

The little princess, who was about to take out her money to buy a hairpin, grasped at her robe but was unable to locate her purse. She suddenly looked up and saw the thief running away. Fear and grievance flashed across her eyes. Finally, she shouted, “Thief! Catch the thief!”

Everyone watching from outside the scene saw this helpless and wronged gaze and wished they could go up and beat the thief up.

At this moment, the male protagonist, Lin Xiao, appeared on the scene. He was initially waiting on the tree to look at the stars, but he noticed the movement beneath his feet. Upon seeing the little girl being bullied, displeasure flashed in his eyes, and he leaped off the tree.

With a beautiful kick, he easily subdued the scoundrel.

“Here, your purse.”

The actor playing Lin Xiao was the famous actor, Qin Wu. Under the lights, he looked tall and heroic. The distinct eyebrows and gentle smile on his face made the little princess panic.

A hint of shyness, joy, and gratitude could be seen in her sparkling eyes.

“Thank you.”

As the little princess reached out for the purse, she did not dare to raise her head to look at that smiling gaze.

At that moment, a gentle breeze blew past. The veil that had been loosened while she chased the thief was now blown away by the wind.

“Quick, get a close-up!” Director Yang was so excited that his hands were clenched tightly as he babbled in anxiety.

The camera zoomed in for the close-up.

The veil on her face was blown away. The beauty in front of him had jade-like brows and skin that was as far as the snow. Her waist was like a bundle of silk and her teeth were like pearls. Lin Xiao’s eyes flashed with amazement, but he already had a younger sister whom he grew up with. Hence, his eyes flashed with astonishment and a hint of a struggle before finally returning to their original calm.

Sensing that her veil had fallen off, the little princess lifted her head in a panic and looked at the knight in front of her. Was that awe in his eyes? Covering her flushed cheeks, the little princess bowed down in embarrassment to try to hide the hint of happiness in her eyes. In the end, she could not stop the heat emanating from her reddening earlobes.

“Great! This is great! So great! Cut! This scene is over!”

Director Yang repeatedly praised her three times, naturally indicating that Xia Wanyuan’s scene had been completed flawlessly. All the staff present had watched her act and had no words to spare. Who would dare speak ill of her again? Even the way they looked at Xia Wanyuan had changed.

After the director shouted “Cut!”, Xia Wanyuan returned to her normal state. She no longer had the look of a girl who had just seen her first love.

“…”

Qin Wu was speechless at how quickly Xia Wanyuan’s expression had changed.

He cast a probing glance at Xia Wanyuan. Back then, he had almost rejected this script whenhe heard that Xia Wanyuan’s acting skills were terrible. After all, he did not want to waste time on someone with no talent who was merely a flower vase.

From the looks of it now, the rumors could not be trusted. If not for Xia Wanyuan’s immediate change of expression, he would have really thought that Xia Wanyuan liked him with how shy and lovable she had looked only seconds ago.

Chapter 22: Hottest Search

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Ruan Yingyu, who had just come out after changing her clothes, happened to see the moment Xia Wanyuan’s veil fell. That perfect moment of shyness, joy, and panic hurt her like a knife stabbing into her eyes.

Seeing the director praise her repeatedly and the other staff exclaim in admiration, Ruan Yingyu clenched her fists under her long sleeves, with jealousy flashing in her eyes. How could this be? How could Xia Wanyuan’s acting skills be so good?!

“Xiao Zhang, come here.” Ruan Yingyu called her manager over and whispered into his ear.

…

In Beijing.

Xia Yu, who was already used to sleeping late and waking up in the afternoon, was woken up at eight o’clock in the morning.

With panda eyes, he ate breakfast together with Xiao Bao and Jun Shiling. He was so sleepy that his eyelids twitched, but he didn’t dare to play any tricks in front of Jun Shiling.

After asking the chauffeur to send Xiao Bao to kindergarten, Jun Shiling gave Xia Yu a cold glance.

“Come with me.”

“Huh?! Oh.” Xia Yu followed Jun Shiling with a racing heart. He even had difficulty breathing.

‘I shouldn’t have been tricked by that woman’s sugar-coated words! Boohoo! Someone save me! That person is as scary as the King Of Hell!’ Although Xia Yu looked calm on the outside, he was actually bitter on the inside.

Like that, Xia Yu followed Jun Shiling all the way to the Jun Corporation. The efficiency of the company’s staff and atmosphere matched the high standards of the corporation.

Seeing how the company operated in an orderly manner and how the employees respected Jun Shiling from the bottom of their hearts, Xia Yu looked at Jun Shiling in admiration. This person didn’t look much older than him, yet he could control such a large corporation.

In front of an iron-fisted person like Jun Shiling, for the first time, Young Master Xia felt like he was still a child. He felt a little defeated.

“Young Master.”

Lin Jing was already waiting outside the CEO’s office on the 100th floor.

“Okay, let’s finish the proposal we didn’t finish last night.”

Jun Shiling stopped in his tracks and looked at Xia Yu. “Arrange a seat for him in the finance department.”

As the leader of the Jun Corporation and the one who had supreme power, he was extremely scrupulous in separating public from private interests and only appointed talents on their merit. This was also the reason that the Jun Corporation was getting stronger.

It was the first time he had planted connections in the corporation. Lin Jing looked at Xia Yu’s denim jacket and ripped pants, as well as his innocent eyes. He raised his eyebrows. This Xia Yu didn’t seem like a reliable person.

However, Special Assistant Lin was indeed a special assistant. He took only 0.01 seconds to react and brought Xia Yu to the finance department with his usual facial expression.

“My name is Lin Jing, I’m the special assistant here. What’s your name, sir?” Lin Jing revealed a standard but warm and friendly smile.

“Hello, hello. My name is Xia Yu.” Xia Yu was still processing the fact that he was going to enter the finance department of the Jun Corporation.

‘What happened? Why am I working here? This shouldn’t be. I don’t know anything about finance!’

A strange look flashed across Lin Jing’s eyes. ‘Xia Yu? As in Xia Wanyuan’s younger brother?’

“So it’s Miss Xia’s younger brother.” Lin Jing pushed his golden-framed spectacles. He immediately understood something.

It was rare for the brainless Xia Yu to have noticed what Lin Jing had addressed Xia Wanyuan. ‘He didn’t even address her as Madam, it seems like Xia Wanyuan’s status is really miserable.’

“Let me ask you something.” Xia Yu leaned towards Lin Jing and lowered his voice.

“What is it?”

“Does Xia Wanyuan owe Jun Shiling a lot of money? Does she want me to help pay him back by working for him?”

Lin Jing had expected a few situations, including how Xia Yu might inquire more about the Jun Corporation, how he might try to get close to him, the special assistant, and how he might try to find out more about Jun Shiling’s secrets. However, he had never expected this question.

“Ha, you must be joking, Mr Xia.” Lin Jing’s eyes were filled with genuine amusement. “Since Miss Xia entrusted you to Young Master, he must have his own considerations since he arranged for you to be assigned to the finance department.”

After leading Xia Yu to the entrance of the finance department, Lin Jing left. Soon after, he sent a message to the manager of the finance department and instructed him to arrange a simple job for Xia Yu. He also wanted him to keep Xia Yu’s background a secret.

When Lin Jing returned, he reported Xia Yu’s situation to Jun Shiling and received a nod of approval in return. Other than being able to handle Jun Shiling’s matters to the best of his ability, the reason Lin Jing was able to become the special assistant of the Jun Corporation was also because he could read between the lines.

The people in the finance department, who were engrossed in their work, were summoned by the leader to welcome an exquisitely handsome “connection” who was wearing fashionable clothing from head to toe.

As they did not know how “connected” this person was and no one knew what was going on, they treated Xia Yu politely and distanced themselves from him.

Although confused, Xia Yu worked as instructed for the entire day.

…

Meanwhile on Weibo, a marketing account with millions of fans received news from an anonymous sub-account.

Almost immediately, he quickly wrote a post and posted it on Weibo. Soon, the trending topic of “Xia Wanyuan’s lifeless gaze” gradually climbed to the top of the search rankings.

Netizens went through the trending search list as usual and quickly browsed through it. The name “Xia Wanyuan” attracted everyone’s interest. After all, wherever she was, there would be gossip involved.As expected, the trending topic did not disappoint anyone. A marketing account named “The Husky In The Industry” posted a series of images.

In the picture, the film crew staff were adjusting the machine diligently while the other actors were reading the script. In contrast, Xia Wanyuan seemed to be staring at the camera in a daze. There were more than a dozen pictures and from all different angles. Her dull eyes made both the fans of the novel and passersby furious.

[As expected, what kind of acting skills are those? Just look at how she’s staring into space. What the heck is she even doing?]

[AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! Return me my beautiful Heavenly Spirit Princess!! The princess isn’t blind! I’m so pissed off!]

[How can such a person be in the entertainment industry? Capitalism really gives one the chance to do whatever they want.]

[Rubbish, seeing her sanpaku eyes that are so dull, I won’t watch this drama no matter how pretty her face is! I will be a dog if I contribute to the viewership ratings of such trash!]

The huge crowd of novel fans, the passersby who just wanted to watch the fun, and the fans of other celebrities who had their resources snatched away by Xia Wanyuan instantly gathered and shared the photos. This trending topic very quickly climbed to second place on the trending list.

Apart from the criticism directed at Xia Wanyuan on the hot searches, most people were feeling sorry for Ruan Yingyu and Qin Wu in the comments section below.

[The thought of a gentle person like Xiao Ruan acting with such a person makes my heart ache.]

[When Mommy is rich, I must invest in Xiao Ruan to film a movie she likes and not bow down to capitalism!]

…

Paired with those comments were many exquisite and edited photos of Ruan Yuying. In the photos, she looked gentle, calm and amiable, which formed a direct contrast with Xia Wanyuan’s dull and lifeless expression.In an instant, Xia Wanyuan gained a lot of anti-fans, while Ruan Yingyu gained a large number of fans.

“Look, this must have been leaked by the crew. Maybe Ruan Yingyu asked someone to leak it!”

Ever since he watched the scene Xia Wanyuan had filmed in the afternoon, Chen Yun had finally seen some hope for Xia Wanyuan. As long as her performance in the afternoon wasn’t temporary and if she could maintain this standard in the future, Chen Yun could foresee that this drama would become Xia Wanyuan’s comeback.

Xia Wanyuan was speechless as she looked at the pictures on Weibo. She was indeed looking at those equipment machines, but she was not subconsciously spacing out. Instead, she was really curious about how those cold, black machines recorded the images of the characters. Please forgive her, this old antique, for her intense curiosity.

“Sigh, it’s a pity that the company doesn’t give us any PR fees. We can only let them do as they wish.”

“It’s okay.” Public opinion had and always would be the easiest to topple. At this moment, there were crowds of people who wanted to expel her from the entertainment industry, but in the future, perhaps they would become her most fanatical fans.

“Don’t take it to heart. It’s getting late, so you should rest early and maintain your condition tomorrow.” Chen Yun comforted Xia Wanyuan, afraid that she would be angered by the comments online.

What he was most worried about now was that Xia Wanyuan’s acting performance in the afternoon was only a fluke. He even guessed that Xia Wanyuan could only act so well because she had a crush on Qin Wu. But looking at Xia Wanyuan’s performance, it did not seem like it.

‘God bless her, let Xia Wanyuan truly come to her senses.’

Chen Yun prayed silently in his heart.

After Chen Yun left, Xia Wanyuan returned to her room. Once she removed her makeup, she took a shower before settling down on the bed. Thinking that Xiao Bao should be on the bed by then, she found the black starry sky profile picture from her WeChat and pressed the video call button.

Jun Shiling had just finished his work for the day and returned to the manor. He massaged his temples tiredly, loosened his tie, and sat on the sofa.

“Young Master, I’ll bring you a cup of coffee.” The grizzled Uncle Wang looked at Jun Shiling, who he had watched grow up, with some heartache.

“No need. Where’s Jun Yin?”

“Little Master has already washed up and was just taken to the bedroom.”

“Okay, Uncle Wang, you should go and rest. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Uncle Wang had just turned around to take a step when he heard Jun Shiling’s private phone ringing.

Within moments, Jun Shiling pressed the answer button and a woman’s clear voice sounded from the phone.

Uncle Wang turned around in shock. He had forgotten that Jun Shiling hated being spied on. When he met Jun Shiling’s displeased gaze, he hurriedly turned around and walked away, but the shock in his heart did not subside for a long time.

When the video call connected, Jun Shiling’s sculpture-like face appeared on the screen. His handsome features caught Xia Wanyuan off guard and stunned her for a moment.

“Good evening?” Xia Wanyuan smiled politely at Jun Shiling. Her beautiful dimples cast a little shadow under the light, and her freshly blown hair fell messily over her jade-white shoulders.

“Er, Jun Yin is in the bedroom. I’ll pass the phone to him.” Jun Shiling was expressionless.

“Okay, thank you. Xia Yu didn’t cause any trouble, did he?” Jun Shiling walked upstairs with his phone, but the camera was still facing him.

Feeling a little awkward, Xia Wanyuan asked about Xia Yu’s situation, even though she felt that Xia Yu wouldn’t be able to make any trouble under Jun Shiling’s suppression.

“Everything has worked out well.”

“Oh.” Xia Wanyuan did not know what to say. The video fell silent, except for the sound of Jun Shiling’s slippers going up the stairs.

“Daddy!” Xiao Bao was playing with the big white teddy bear he had just bought. When he saw Jun Shiling walk in, his eyes curved up. Compared to his previous fear, he was much closer to Jun Shiling now.

“Mm.” The coldness of Jun Shiling dissipated as he handed the phone to Xiao Bao and pursed his lips.

“It’s your mother.”

Chapter 23: The Destruction Of A Nation

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

“Mommy!”

When he heard that his mommy had called, Xiao Bao’s bright eyes widened and sparkled like the sun on a summer day. He crawled out of the blanket and reached out to receive the phone.

“Go back in the blankets, don’t catch a cold.”

With that, Jun Shiling tucked Xiao Bao under the blanket, leaving only his furry head and one small hand outside. Upon seeing the soft and cuddly dumpling, Xia Wanyuan smiled.

Soon after, Xiao Bao happily shared with Xia Wanyuan the fresh news in the kindergarten today, completely forgetting about his father’s existence. Having been forgotten so quickly, Jun Shiling glanced at his son and went to wash up in the bathroom.

Half an hour later, when Jun Shiling came out of the bathroom, the room was already quiet.

Jun Shiling switched the lights in the room to sleep mode. He took the phone from Xiao Bao’s hand and stuffed his hand under the blanket.

When he flipped open his cell phone, he saw that the video call had already ended. Looking at the bright smiling face beside the sunflower in the profile picture, Jun Shiling felt strangely empty.

Subconsciously, he clicked into her profile picture and clicked on her profile feed. She had deleted all her posts from a month ago, as if she wanted to end things with the past.

There were only two posts in her empty WeChat feed. One of them was a photo of a sausage, egg waffle, and milk tea. The caption in the post was ‘New Experience’.

The most recent post was actually a photo of the alley that was illuminated by the sunlight, taken the last time they visited Grandpa.

When he saw the alley, Jun Shiling suddenly thought of the calligraphy piece. Getting up, he took the box out and looked down at the calligraphy piece before placing it on the bedside table.

The next day, when they were about to leave, Jun Shiling instructed Uncle Wang to frame it up.

…

The cast and crew usually liked surfing the internet in their free time, so they all saw the hot searches online.

Many people who did not have any conflicts of interest with Xia Wanyuan felt it was incredibly unfair for her when they saw the criticism online. Her performance yesterday was indeed not bad. Saying that her gaze was dull was too much of a false accusation.

But Xia Wanyuan herself did not feel anything. There were so many opinions online, as long as she did not mind, what harm could they cause? The current Xia Wanyuan had the worst business resources. In any case, since she had already hit rock bottom, it could not fall any further.

The first scene to be filmed was Xia Wanyuan’s. The country that the Heavenly Spirit Princess lived in was being destroyed, and she was forced to leave the Imperial Palace and infiltrate the commoners and wait for an opportunity to avenge her parents.

The innocent and kind little princess that Xia Wanyuan had portrayed yesterday was indeed not bad, but since Xia Wanyuan herself was used to living like a princess, it was not difficult to show the innocence and naivety in her eyes.

However, the dynasty in which the Heavenly Spirit Princess lived had collapsed in a single night, and both her parents died in battle while protecting their country. It was no surprise that Director Yang was a little worried about her acting skills for such a huge emotional scene, but he had no choice but to put a square peg into a round hole.

At this moment, Xia Wanyuan had also changed her clothes. Dressed in a bright red satin palace gown, the feet of the gown was adorned with small glass pearls as it fell to the ground. The red gown was embroidered with large golden-red peonies, with fine silver threads that drew out an exquisite outline, making her look glorious and noble. This scene was a farewell scene in the palace hall, so the Heavenly Spirit Princess had to wear the traditional princess gown.

As Xia Wanyuan put on the princess outfit that was so similar to the one she wore in her previous life, her heart was filled with emotions.

Once again, all those present in the production team were impressed by Xia Wanyuan’s appearance.

“Xiao Liu, this dress is not bad. Your ability to pick clothes has improved recently.” Director Yang nodded at the stylist in approval.

The stylist laughed on the surface, but in reality, she was cursing in her heart. ‘In the previous drama, you called me gaudy when I used this outfit!’

“Alright, everyone. Get ready. Action!”

Director Yang gave the order and the various departments leaped into action.

Inside the dark palace, the Heavenly Spirit Princess was sitting on a chair while her maids were helping style her for the day. At this moment, the little princess was still the treasure that her father and mother doted on. Her eyes were filled with innocence. It was unknown what she was thinking, but her cheeks turned pink as shyness flashed across her eyes.

Suddenly, the palace doors were pushed open. “Princess! This is bad! The traitor has attacked the city gates! The Empress has sent someone to escort you out of the palace!”

The servant girl’s words broke the peace in the palace and the golden hairpin fell to the ground.

“Close-up! Zoom in!” Director Yang commanded excitedly.

The camera zoomed in. The naive little princess was stunned for a moment. It was as if she was trying to cushion the servant girl’s words in her mind. In an instant, confusion, worry, and shock filled the eyes of the Heavenly Spirit Princess. Ignoring the servant girl’s obstruction, the Heavenly Spirit Princess dashed out and ran towards the main hall.

Chaos filled the palace as people were scrambling about wherever she looked.

Looking at the servants who had scattered around, Xia Wanyuan was reminded of the day her country had been destroyed. That day, the palace had burst into flames that soared into the sky. She had panicked and been at a loss as she watched the people escape.

Those who raised flowers for her, those who played with her, those who served her meals, those who played with her, all of them ignored her and lost themselves in the mad panic of needing to escape.

She was at a loss.

Tears streamed down her face. It felt like she was unconsciously running forward, she could see everything but at the same time, she could do nothing at all.

She was helpless.

When she finally reached the steps in front of the main hall, the little princess raised her head. On the tall steps, she watched as the leader of the rebellion stabbed through her father’s chest with a sword.

Watched as his heart was pierced.

Watched his convulsing body collapse to the ground.

The little princess’s eyes widened as she took large strides forward. However, Lin Xiao, who was behind her, stopped her and covered her mouth. Only her eyes were looking at the bloody scene in front of her. She looked at her parents, and they kept shaking their heads, signaling her not to come out.

Xia Wanyuan thought of the time when the Xia Dynasty was destroyed. She had stood in the distance, looking at the palace full of bones. The towering gate where she had flown her kite, the garden where she had caught dragonflies, and the pond where she had fished, everywhere was filled with the corpses of people she was familiar with.

At that time, she covered her younger siblings’ eyes. Her eyes were filled with tears as watched the tragedy unfold before her eyes in silence.

An almost tangible pain enveloped the Heavenly Spirit Princess. In her tear-filled eyes, the pain of losing her parents, the grief and indignation of losing her country, all turned into flames of hatred that burned with scorching radiance.

Everyone outside the camera was infected by Xia Wanyuan’s emotions. It was as if they had truly been brought to the scene of a fallen country. The overwhelming pain and hatred pressed down on everyone like a mountain.

Qin Wu, who was closest to Xia Wanyuan, felt the intensity of her emotions the most. The woman in his arms who was silently weeping, whose eyes were filled with pain, helplessness, and hatred, caused his heart to ache as well.

Somehow, he had been swept away into Xia Wanyuan’s world of acting.

Chapter 24: Ruan Yingyu

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Ruan Yingyu had gone to change her clothes when Xia Wanyuan was filming yesterday, so she had only seen the last scene.

Today, she stood at the side and watched Xia Wanyuan film the entire scene. She admitted that she could never act with such great emotional outbursts and feelings. If anything, this internal admission made her even more uneasy.

After all, she had worked so hard to get the lead role. What if Xia Wanyuan stole her limelight?

“Excellent, Xiao Xia! You’ve grasped the role perfectly. Keep it up.”

Director Yang had originally only regarded Xia Wanyuan as a pretty face, but he had never expected that it turned out she was so talented. He suddenly felt that he had made a killing, and the way he addressed Xia Wanyuan changed from ‘the woman who had brought in funds’ to ‘Xiao Xia’.

“Yes, Director.” Xia Wanyuan nodded slightly at Director Yang.

The scene had already ended, and Qin Wu had also let go of Xia Wanyuan. However, the warmth of her tears still lingered in his hands, like burning droplets into his heart.

Xia Wanyuan went out of character immediately and took the soda from Chen Yun.

“That’s great! How are you so good at crying?! That was so amazing.” Chen Yun’s heart, which had been burned to ashes, was now filled with a field of growing wild grass.

From the looks of it, Xia Wanyuan was truly enlightened. Her tear-stained face had even made him cry. ‘It will be eye-opening for the viewers when the drama airs!’

Chen Yun had already started to imagine where he would go for a vacation with his bonus after filming this drama.

“I just thought of the fact that my family went bankrupt and it upset me.”

Xia Wanyuan couldn’t bring herself to say that she had experienced the pain of losing her country in her previous life, so she could only make up an excuse using the recent matters of the original Xia Wanyuan.

Unexpectedly, Chen Yun somehow became awkward when he heard that. He worriedly consoled Xia Wanyuan, “Don’t be too sad. Just focus on filming this drama. It will get better in the future.”

He was about to leave when he turned back and touched his head in embarrassment. “Erm, what do you want to eat for lunch? The packed lunch isn’t good, so let me buy something else for you.”

“Bring me a bowl of baked potatoes then.” Xia Wanyuan took a sip of her soda. A strange feeling hit her throat.

“…”

Chen Yun was stunned. He looked at Xia Wanyuan for a long time and realized that she was not joking. He then replied, “Alright.”

‘I guess she must be really broke?!’

Chen Yun muttered in his heart. Otherwise, why would she become so frugal? This was nothing like the Xia Wanyuan who would frequently demand a feast even when filming in the mountains.

But it had to be said that the current Xia Wanyuan was much more approachable.

“Alright. All departments, pay attention. Where’s the gaffer? Light Ruan Yingyu up.”

Director Yang pointed at Ruan Yingyu. The cameraman and gaffer immediately followed his orders.

The cameras were already set up, but under the props tent, Ruan Yingyu seemed to have not heard Director Yang’s words and was immersed in her own world.

“Ruan Yingyu, what are you doing? Get ready, it’s your turn!”

Director Yang’s shout pulled Ruan Yingyu out of her chaotic reverie. She glanced at Xia Wanyuan, who was drinking a soda nearby with an air of magnanimity. Hatred flashed across her eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Director. I was too engrossed while thinking about my lines and didn’t hear you.”

Ruan Yingyu bowed a few times consecutively. Director Yang pursed his lips. “Alright, hurry up and prepare.”

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Ruan Yingyu smiled at Qin Wu with a pure and sweet look. However, Qin Wu did not show any expression. He only nodded slightly and started acting with Ruan Yingyu.

Yes, he could not deny that her pure and innocent appearance was indeed very attractive. However, her stereotyped innocence was worlds apart from Xia Wanyuan,who had a pair of beautiful crystal clear eyes, let alone that mesmerizing smile.

Ruan Yingyu played the role of Tian Ying Er, who was the childhood sweetheart of the male lead, Lin Xiao.

The scene they were shooting today was the scene where Lin Xiao had thought of his sister who had grown up with him. After being humiliated in the outside world, he recalled their childhood love, which only deepened Lin Xiao’s longing for Tian Ying Er.

“Sister! Look at the kite! Master and I secretly bought it at the market.”

The bright youth flew down from the mountain peak using the wire stunt technique with a smile on his face and a butterfly-shaped kite in his hand.

“It’s so beautiful! Thank you, Brother!” Tian Ying Er accepted the kite with a joyful expression as she looked adoringly at her brother, who was perpetually radiant and bright.

“Stop!” Director Yang frowned as he looked at Ruan Yingyu’s smile on the monitor. “You are in your youthful period now! Both of you are still in a pure relationship as a senior and a junior. What the hell is with that adoring look in your eyes! Start over!”

————

“It’s so beautiful! Thank you, Brother!”

“Cut! You don’t look naive enough!”

“Cut! Now you look too naive. Why are you staring at him like that?”

Director Yang was a serious person. Three consecutive NG cuts had made him furious.

Seeing that it was almost noon, he snapped, “Let’s continue in the afternoon.”

“I’m sorry, everyone. I’m so sorry. I’m in a bad state today.”

Ruan Yingyu bowed to everyone with an apologetic look on her face. However, her fingernails had already dug into her flesh.

“Think more about what an innocent girl should look like. If you really can’t do it, go and ask Xia Wanyuan for advice and learn from how she acted yesterday.” After filming all morning, only Xia Wanyuan’s scenes had been completely filmed. The comparison made Director Yang extremely more dissatisfied with Ruan Yingyu’s three consecutive NG scenes.

“Alright, Director. I will definitely seek guidance.”

Even as she was speaking, Ruan Yingyu gritted her teeth and struggled to keep the irritation out of her voice. Ignoring the gazes of the crew, she entered her own lounge.

The moment she entered the lounge, Ruan Yingyu threw the things in her hands onto the floor.

B*tch! Who does she think she is! Me? Consult her?!”

Her innocent eyes were filled with hatred.

Since she only had scenes to film at night, Xia Wanyuan went back to the hotel. When Chen Yun entered the room with a bowl of baked potatoes bought from a roadside stall, Xia Wanyuan was eating the packed lunch from the production team in satisfaction.

If one did not notice the packed lunch and looked at Xia Wanyuan’s eating manners, Chen Yun would have thought that Xia Wanyuan was having a sumptuous feast.

Chen Yun was a little speechless. ‘Forget it, I’ll give her an extra drumstick tomorrow afternoon.’

“You’re here?” Chen Yun walked over and Xia Wanyuan handed him his packed lunch.

“Yes. Here, your potatoes.”

Xia Wanyuan took the potatoes. The other day, when she was on set, she had passed by the food street outside and smelled the crisp fragrance wafting in from outside the car window. Since then she has already been craving them.

She picked one up and placed it in her mouth. The outside was a little hard, but the inside was soft and melted in her mouth. The taste was indeed not bad, but it was a little too oily. After popping two into her mouth and tasting them, Xia Wanyuan decided it was enough.

He wasn’t sure if the packed lunch provided by the production team had indeed become more delicious or if it was because of how deliciously Xia Wanyuan ate, Chen Yun felt that the packed lunch today tasted much better.

“You can take a break in the afternoon. I’ll let you know when filming starts tonight.”

“Sure.”

Chen Yun was about to leave with the trash when Xia Wanyuan suddenly spoke from behind him.

“Pay attention to Ruan Yingyu. She might take action in the next two days.”

“Got it.”

Even if Xia Wanyuan didn’t mention it, Chen Yun would still pay more attention to her.

When they were resting on set earlier, Xia Wanyuan could feel the hatred in the woman’s eyes whenever she looked at her.

Chapter 25: The Alluring Dance

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

After lunch, Xia Wanyuan lay down on the soft bed and took her afternoon nap. However, in the canteen of Jun Corporation, Xia Yu was not feeling as comfortable.

Having experienced a day of muddle-headedness the day before, the supervisor finally gave him some work today, which was to help the people in the office print documents.

Everyone in the office knew that he had come in through connections, so no one dared to hand things over to him. Hence, he sat in the office and had nothing to do for a long time. During lunchtime, his colleagues asked him to have lunch together, so he went to the canteen together with them.

“Hey, isn’t this Young Master Xia?” A sharp voice sounded behind him.

Xia Yu froze. Damn it, why did he bump into him?

He pretended that nothing had happened and walked forward. However, the person behind him caught up and stopped him.

“What?” Xia Yu looked at the person in front of him unhappily.

The person in question was dressed in a pure white suit and his hair was neatly combed. His youthful face was full of mischief and mockery.

It was Wang Hao, one of the people who had gotten into a fight with Xia Yu a few days ago. He was also the one who called Xia Yu ill-mannered. He had completely angered Xia Yu, which led to the fight.

“Young Master Xia, what are you doing here?” Wang Hao looked at the work pass hanging on Xia Yu’s neck as if he had just discovered something incredible.

“Wow, the Xia family may have gone bankrupt, but I didn’t expect you to be reduced to such a state! To think that even Young Master Xia has to work for someone now, haha!” The sarcasm on his face became more obvious.

Xia Yu had always been arrogant because the Xia family had always given him money but did not care about whatever he did. Wang Hao had never liked him, so he could not wait to spread the news of Xia Yu working in the company.

He had gone to the company to get close to a girl working there. Who would have thought that there would be such an unexpected surprise?

The Xia family could not compare to the Jun family, but in China, they were considered a rather reputable company. Everyone present had more or less heard about the Xia family’s bankruptcy, and their gazes towards Xia Yu immediately changed.

“None of your business. Get lost if you don’t want to get beaten up!”

Sensing the strange gaze from the surroundings, Xia Yu felt wronged and yelled at Wang Hao.

“Hey! An employee of the Jun Corporation is going to beat someone up. Is anyone going to stop him?” Wang Hao shouted exaggeratedly, with an expression full of arrogance and mockery.

Xia Yu clenched his fists tightly. Finally, he threw down the plate on the table and rushed out.

From there he rushed back to the office. He looked at the empty room and tears fell. He could not hold back his tears anymore.

He wanted to quit.

“I’m not staying in this lousy place anymore!”

“Mr Xia.”

Lin Jing had appeared at the door at some point during his tirade. His presence gave Xia Yu a shock.

Xia Yu instinctively wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes. “What is it?” The young man’s clear voice had a hint of suppressed hoarseness.

“Young Master wants you upstairs for a meal.”

With that, Lin Jing turned around and left. As expected, worried that he would implicate Xia Wanyuan, Xia Yu struggled for a while and decided to follow Lin Jing a moment later.

They entered the CEO’s private elevator and went straight to Jun Shiling’s office.

In the spacious office, Jun Shiling was reading the documents on the table with a focused expression.

Xia Yu walked in and Jun Shiling looked up at him with his deep eyes. He glanced at the table not far away and said, “Finish your lunch first.”

Xia Yu originally thought that Jun Shiling was going to scold him, and he was already prepared to argue with him. Hence, he was stunned seeing how calm the man was. He didn’t know what Jun Shiling was going to say, so Xia Yu could only walk to the table and eat the food.

“Brother-in…” Xia Yu almost called Jun Shiling ‘brother-in-law’ subconsciously. Sensing Jun Shiling’s oppressive gaze, he changed the way he addressed him immediately. “Young Master Jun, I’m not suitable for this place, I’m going home. Please tell my sister.”

“Then what do you suit?” Jun Shiling finally spoke. His cold tone was so cold that Xia Yu’s heart went cold too.

Xia Yu’s heart skipped a beat. Right… Then what was suitable for him?

Eat, drink, and have fun? Or going to bars and dancing? Partying his life away?

Jun Shiling exposed his excuse with one sentence.

At the end of the day, there was nothing suitable or unsuitable about it. It was just that he was unwilling to do it.

Xia Yu clenched his fists nervously and was about to speak.

“Tell her yourself. I won’t help you pass the message on.”

After saying this, Jun Shiling ignored Xia Yu.

Xia Yu was stumped. He realized that he didn’t have the courage to tell Xia Wanyuan that he didn’t want to stay in the Jun Corporation any more. Although he was young, he knew that Xia Wanyuan wanted him to stay with Jun Shiling for his own good.

If he gave up now, it would undoubtedly be a clear indication to Xia Wanyuan that he was incapable, and that he was nothing but a coward.

Biting his lower lip, Xia Yu glanced at Jun Shiling, who was sitting behind the table with a commanding aura. Then he turned around and left.

Not long after he left, Jun Shiling received a report from Lin Jing.

“Xia Yu has returned to the finance department.”

…

After an afternoon of takes and adjustments, Ruan Yingyu finally managed to reach Director Yang’s standards after being stuck twice.

It was different from what the outside world had imagined. Dramas nowadays were filmed scene by scene before they were edited.

It was possible that she would have to be naive in the day, but turn bitter and revengeful at night. Hence, to actors, it was very important to quickly get into character.

The scene to film at night was the scene where Xia Wanyuan had to disguise herself as the best dancer to sneak into the newly-promoted general’s residence for the sake of reviving the country and taking revenge. With a single dance, she was able to charm the general and seize his love and trust.

“Alright, get the substitute ready. Go up and dance after you hear my cue.”

Director Yang made a gesture, and the huge lights illuminated the crew. Everything was in place, and the filming began.

At the feast where everyone drank to their heart’s content, the melodious sound of bamboo pipes could be heard.

More than ten women in colorful clothes scattered their wide sleeves and danced gracefully. Flowers fell from the sky and it looked as if they had weaved a fantasy dream.

Suddenly, the music stopped a while before playing loudly again as if it was welcoming someone.

Suddenly, there was a lady outside the hall. Lotuses bloomed with every step she took. The dancers surrounded her as if they were carrying her from behind. Petals fluttered down from the sky.

When the lady walked in, the entire hall was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Under the bright lights, the lady would occasionally raise her wrist and lower her eyebrows. At other times, she would gently wave her hands. The long sleeves in her hands were folded intricately, woven together in an exquisite tumble. It was as if a brush moving like a dragon and painting a painting. Her jade sleeves made the wind blow. She would turn, swing, open, twist, turn, circle, and curve smoothly like flowing water, or phoenixes dancing in harmony.

After the dance, the entire room fell silent. Then, violent cheers erupted. At this moment, the dancer gently removed her veil, revealing a peerless face. The side of her ink-black hair was draped like a waterfall, and there was a flower-shaped piece drawn with cinnabar between her brows. The golden thread at the corner of her eyes was enough to captivate the general sitting on the throne. He didn’t even know that his wine glass had fallen.

At this moment, the crew members were as fascinated as those on the scene.

It was only when Xia Wanyuan reminded the director herself that Director Yang reacted and hurriedly called out “Cut”.

It was only then that the film crew realized that the substitute did not even have a chance to go on stage. That gorgeous and flawless dance was done by Xia Wanyuan herself!!